ROXANNE'S STORY
by Voices InMyHead DB
Summary: This is the story of Roxanne, a beautiful woman traveling with her husband in an attempt to survive a ZA. After a horrible winter she realized that not only is her husband a coward but has put her in danger several times. Thus, the first sentence of Chapter One: "Roxanne was going to kill her husband."
1. Chapter 1

ROXANNE'S STORY: CHAPTER ONE - First Entry:

Roxanne was going to kill her husband. She knew she could get away with it but did not know if she could live with it. They had been thrown out of 2 different groups because of her husband's cowardice and were back on the road again, this time lucky to be alive. Ed was still sniffling and whining from his injuries. "A bunch of fools! I did what you're SUPPOSED to do when you see movement in the night. How did I know the damn fool had gotten up to relieve himself?" Ed had shot and killed a member of the group and the rest had turned against them. Ed would be dead if it hadn't been for the leader who stopped the beating that Ed received from the group. And who knows what her fate would have been. Instead the group leader banished them and here they were, yet again with 1 gun and a pick ax. They had been banished from a previous group because Ed could not be trusted driving the car or going out on supply runs. While everyone was inside a building Ed would wait in the driver's seat with the engine running, the windows up and the doors locked. At the first sight of a walker he would freeze and the other members would be left with banging on the car to get him to open the doors again. They tried taking him into the buildings to search with the group but found that he would shoot at the slightest sound or movement, putting their lives in danger. No one wanted him, so here they were again.

Roxanne was thinking of killing her husband….(to be continued.)

ROXANNE'S STORY: CHAPTER ONE - Second Entry:

Roxanne saw a Hostess Twinkie truck pushed off to the side of the road and asked Ed to stop so she could check it out. "There's nothing in there" Ed said and kept driving. Later they were going thru a small town and she saw a Laundromat down a back alley. "Back up" Roxanne said. "There would be vending machines in the Laundromat."

"There's nothing there. All that stuff is taken by now" Ed replied and kept driving. A voice started whispering in her head, "kill him, kill him now," but she suppressed the anger that was building up inside her.

Finally Ed stopped in front of a bar and told her to check behind the counter for a gun, "and don't bring back junk that I can't use neither!" He was right. In the beginning of the collapse of civilization Roxanne didn't know anything about guns or bullets. Didn't know what bullets went with what guns or how to load or unload. Ed refused to teach her always keeping the gun to him and sending her into stores with the pickax. She would bring back bullets unfit for his gun or guns that his ammo did not match. He would always throw them away telling her that she was useless. But one day she saw the look on his face when she handed him ammo and he realized that he had previously thrown away a gun that could use those bullets. After that he started keeping everything.

Unknown to Ed she had approached the women in the last 2 groups and they had been happy to teach her about guns. Eventually in all the raids she managed to find bullets that were the right caliber for a gun she had hidden in her backpack. The women also taught her how to syphon gas but since that was the only thing that Ed got out of the car to do she never mentioned it to him.

She got out of the car and immediately heard the door locks hammer down behind her. She was hungry, so hungry that she felt faint and would rather look for food than guns. She decided that if she found anything to eat in the bar that she would not bring it out to Ed and would consume it in the bar. She got out her pickax and looked in the window. She did not see movement but to be cautious she tapped on the window, and then sat down on the ledge before she fell down in the awful heat…. (to be continued)

Roxanne's Story – Chapter one - Third Entry:

Roxanne saw that the bar was empty. So were the shelves and there wasn't a gun behind the counter. She pulled her kerchief over her nose because of the stench and knew that someone had died here. Other than the restrooms there was only 1 other door leading to the back storeroom. She cautiously opened it a crack, waited, then opened it another crack where she could see a dead body in a chair. Someone had taken their own life or someone else had taken it for them. She didn't see a gun on the floor but anyone could have taken it during their raid of the place.

She went into the room but knew that she couldn't stay long because of the stench. Quickly she pried open the back door to allow in some air and glanced through the alley to make sure it was free of walkers. Then she began to search the storeroom but the only things left were a couple of jars of cherries for mixed drinks and some tonic water. She stepped outside to open one of the jars and eat the cherries but her stomach lurched as soon as the food hit it. Her stomach was rejecting what it hadn't received in a long time. She waited until it settled and then just held some cherries in her mouth until her stomach adjusted. She ate them slowly while standing outside looking into the storeroom and noticed a set of keys hanging from the pants of the dead body. Looking left and right down the alley again she noticed a compact car and felt confident that the keys would fit. But would it start? Perhaps it wouldn't be necessary to kill Ed after all. Perhaps she could just start the car, drive down the alley and leave by a different route.

Suddenly she heard tires squeal and ran through the bar to the front of the building to see ED driving away as 2 walkers slowly followed the car. There was no need to shout after him since it would turn the walkers toward her so she silently stepped back into the dark and coolness of the bar. Twice in the past he had driven away leaving her behind but he always returned. Well, except that once when she found him parked on the side of the road a mile outside of a small town. When she asked him about it all he said was, "I knew you'd be OK and would find me."

She opened a bottle of tonic water and leaned against the bar, taking her time to drink it. She gathered the rest of the cherries and water putting then into her backpack and was going to get the keys to try and start the compact car when she heard ED return. Who is to say that she survived this time? She could just stay in the bar and he would think that she had been attacked and killed. She knew he wouldn't get out of the car to come looking for her but was she ready to do this alone? She could die just as easily with or without him but Ed would surely die without her… (To be continued).

Roxanne's Story – Chapter One – Fourth Entry:

Roxanne walked back to the dead body and removed the car keys dangling from his pocket. But as she was leaving she noticed that there was a rawhide string hanging on the door with 1 key attached. Since it was such an odd place to put a single key she took it down and looked at the tag that was attached. "Above Apt" She had not seen any staircase in the bar to indicate that there was an apartment above, nor had she seen a fire escape outside. She began walking toward the car and again heard the squeal of tires as Ed sped off. She walked past the car in the alley, past the garbage cans and saw that there was an alcove with stairs leading to the top floor. She climbed the long staircase and listened at the door for any movement. After not hearing anything she gently knocked and waited for the sound of groans or shuffling of feet but there was nothing. She did however hear Ed return again and actually jumped when she heard him yell out her name. "ROXANNE! COME ON YOU BITCH. I'M NOT COMING BACK AGAIN."

If there was anyone in the apartment, alive or dead then they would have gone to the front of the building where Ed was yelling. She used Ed's distraction as an opportunity to use the key and quickly slipped in….(to be continued) DB

ROXANNES STORY – CHAPTER ONE - FIFTH ENTRY:

It was starting to get dark and Ed had returned several more times. Roxanne had checked the apartment which was free of walkers and decided she would sleep here tonight, and then try the compact car in the morning. She went back down the stairs and used the garbage cans to block the staircase knowing that she would hear the racket if any walker stumbled into them. They didn't usually climb stairs unless they heard a noise but she wasn't taking any chances.

She found 1 can of pudding and 1 can of peaches in the kitchen. The bathroom had a bottle of aspirin and a bottle of tums which she put in her backpack. She had eaten tums when there was nothing else. Under the sink she found a can of dog food which she also packed. She opened the valve to the hot water heater in the utility room and found that no one had thought to drain it for drinking water. She found some empty bottles which were tossed on the floor and filled them from the hot water heater.

Roxanne finally heard Ed leave for the last time. He would not be back in the dark. Most likely he would find some isolated driveway and sleep in the car, if he slept at all. She wanted to sleep in the bed, but that part of the apartment carried the smell of the corpse below so she slept on the couch. She kept the windows open to catch some breeze and to hear if there was any activity during the night.

The next morning Roxanne woke feeling confused and couldn't believe that she had done it. She had decided to go it alone and hadn't consciously made the decision. This time it had been her body pulling her along while her mind had been padded in cotton, numbed from hunger, fear and desperation. She felt rejoiced that the ZA hadn't turned her into a murderess.

She took some men's shirts out of the closet and packed them along with her meager supplies and headed down to the car in the alley. She stood at the car lightly running her fingers over it, whispering, "Come on baby, will you start for me? Will we have an adventure together you and me?" She hoped that the dead guy had only been a corpse for weeks and not for months and that the car still ran. She finally unlocked the door and got in, continuing to talk to it. "You don't know me baby but I'm going to pull the seat up and make some adjustments and then you'll talk to me, OK?"

The car turned over on the 2nd try. Roxanne laughed uncontrollably and cried at the same time shouting, "YES, YES, YES!" Finally she relaxed, sighed with relief, patted the steering wheel and said, "OK, Dollywood here we come!"

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER ONE - SIXTH ENTRY:

Roxanne sat in the car and studied the map. There was something outside the park called Dollywood Train Station that showed tracks going through a tunnel. Perhaps that was how visitors were taken into the park. If it turns out that the park is safe it would be a good idea to block that tunnel with cars or maybe a bus across the entrance.

She sat back in the car seat and sighed, then reached over and patted Mutt on the head. She came across the dog in the last town or rather it came across her. When she first spotted the dog it darted out of sight around a corner. She decided to follow because if it were still alive after all this time, then he had a feeding ground somewhere. She saw it again in an alley this time slowly backing up from something hidden from Roxanne's sight. Then it barked, back-peddled some more and barked again. Soon 2 walkers who had been following the dog came into sight. The dog turned to run, saw Roxanne and ran behind her legs, whining as if to say, "DO something". Roxanne grabbed the lid off of a trash can using it to knock down both of the walkers and then used her pickax to finish them off.

The dog immediately ran past Roxanne to the end of the alley and through a doggie door. Then it popped its head back out, whined again and disappeared back inside. Roxanne tried the door but it was locked so she knelt down on the concrete, pushed her arm thru the doggie door allowing her to reach the lock and released it. She was not afraid of walkers since the dog felt safe on the premises but she drew her gun in case the dog's owner was inside. She entered a kitchen, waited then called out, "Hello". The dog appeared again, stared at her for a moment then darted out of sight so Roxanne followed.

She stayed there for 3 days taking care of the old lady until she died, promising at the end to take Mutt with her. She was glad to have the company since it didn't feel as strange talking to a dog as when she was talking to herself or the car Jenny. It wasn't as if she had a schedule to keep but she felt sure that Dollywood would be the ideal place to go although ED had wanted to stay in Chicago. Without a way to heat the apartment or build a fire in the apartment they had gone to various relatives, but that never lasted long once they saw that ED could not contribute to their survival.

The dog had proven to be an asset to her, drawing off walkers while she was scavenging for supplies. The worst was finding gas and it looked as if they would need to abandon the car soon. These mountain roads were hard on using up gas and although there had been some houses on this road none had a car parked out front. She reached over and scratched Mutt's ears and said, "Well, let's just go until Jenny gives out on us. Looks like we'll be on foot soon."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER ONE - 7****TH**** ENTRY:**

Roxanne stood on the mountain side looking down at Dollywood after abandoning the car. She had left the road and cut through the forest for better protection from any walkers. Mutt was confused as to why they had stopped and was getting impatient beside her. The place was huge and practically swallowed up after being unattended for so long. She hadn't expected so much acreage and that portions of it would not be visible to her. It looked as if it had been built in sections with each hidden within its own mountain space separated by train tracks, or tunnels, or waterways. What movement she had seen was not human or walker just disrepair. It was overgrown and some of the bigger rides had collapsed. Her hopes were dashed. It did not look inviting at all; it looked ominous, haunted and gave her a slight chill. There were echoing sounds that she contributed to the slamming of a screen door, the squeak of something rusty, and a tree limb banging against a window. This would be very, very difficult to stay here alone. She could go insane in this place. It appeared as if the mountain was trying to take its land back and erase any memory that an amusement park had existed here.

She decided to go down and walk the fence line to get a better look at things. Perhaps it wouldn't seem so spooky to see it up close and identify some of the sounds. She also wanted to check the fence to see if it was still secure or if it had been breached. If she still didn't feel comfortable with the place she would go back up into the mountain to spend the night and continue checking the next day. …. (To be continued)

**Roxanne's Story – Chapter One - 8****th**** entry: **

Roxanne sat in the driver's seat of the tour bus and wondered if she released the brake if it would roll downhill to the tunnel. She would use it to block the entrance to the park, swerving so the front was against one wall of the tunnel and the rear of the bus against the other wall. She would go thru the bus to get in and out of the park if necessary. So far she didn't see any need to leave the park since there was water, stored goods and medical supplies. She could use the other buildings and its furniture for firewood during the winter. She had seen rabbits raiding the overgrown and unattended gardens and deer had come up to the fence line. She did not know how to catch or kill either of these animals but would learn by her mistakes. No longer disturbed by humans the wildlife had started to come back including ducks and geese settling into the various ponds.

She had not seen any walkers since arriving 2 days ago, but walkers had a habit of showing up everywhere eventually. She was tired of looking over her shoulder, tired of quietly moving in and out of buildings, opening or searching in a haphazard way in order to avoid detection.

She opened the door of the bus and said, "Get out of the bus Mutt. I don't want you getting hurt when we hit the wall." He looked at her and whined. "Go on now. I'm not leaving you." Mutt stepped out and looked back. "Go on now", she waved her hand. "Further, further". When he was safely away she released the break…nothing. She stood up and jumped up and down. Nothing. She stepped down on the last step of the bus and jumped up and down but still nothing. Finally she went to the front of the bus and climbed on the bumper and while holding onto the grill she jumped up and down but almost killed her when the bumper broke off. She fell to the concrete and Mutt came running up to lick her face. Roxanne laughed and said, "Well Mutt I may have great ideas but I never know how to execute them."

She brushed herself off and inspected her torn hands from hitting the concrete. "Let's go to the wishing pond to get washed off and think on it some more." She moved the bumper away from the front of the bus and they walked off to the pond where Mutt had been sitting. Roxanne liked sitting here because the pennies on the bottom gave her some sense of happiness and hope. She opened a bag of stale M&M's and shared a can of sardines with Mutt. It was turning cool here at night and the sun felt good on her face. Then she realized that the silence was disturbed by the crunching of tires on concrete. She grabbed her gun and cursed herself for letting someone creep up on her. Mutt was busy with his sardines and hadn't warned her, damn him! She spun around to see that the only danger was the bus slowly starting to roll downhill. She quickly holstered her gun and ran for the driver's seat so she could steer the bus in the right position….. (To be continued)

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER ONE - 9****TH**** ENTRY**:

Roxanne sat in the Mechanics Office reading a car repair manual. She knew she should not become complacent in her security and should plan a backdoor exit if necessary. She had found the keys to a chain-link fence at the far end of the park that appeared to access a road used for service contractors. The road was overgrown now, but usable as long as she could avoid the saplings growing up between the broken asphalt.

"Batteries can last 5 – 12 years depending upon the variables" the manual said. "Variables?" she questioned. "What about in a ZA you jerk". Her plans were to stock the car with supplies, bedding, extra gas, and clothing and park it at the back gate for a quick exit. She would put the keys to the fence on a string around her neck and find something to camouflage the car. She knew she should leave the car in the shop for protection against the weather, but the bay door was too difficult for her to open. She had managed to get it up but had struggled with it and knew it wasn't something that she could easily do again.

There were 2 cars in the bay area but neither would start. She changed all the fluids in one, not taking any chances that the oil was old and hard, that the antifreeze and steering fluids were topped off, even added windshield washer. She finally retrieved a boxed battery from the shelf and studied how the old battery was placed in the engine, then changed it with the new one. She was just getting into the seat to see if the car would start when Mutt came trotting into the garage with a rabbit in his mouth. She really wanted to start this car, but Mutt's pride came first. She got out and knelt down and petted him, praising him for his catch and saw his joy of "I did good, huh?" in his face. "Yes sweetie, you did good. Now let's go cook this thing up."  
(To be continued…)

**Roxanne's Story: chapter one - 10****th**** Entry: **

Roxanne heard the car attempting to make the upgrade to the park long before it came into sight. She could tell that the car was on its last legs by the knocking, rattling and grinding as the driver attempted to shift gears.

She ran to the bus and got down on her hands and knees to remove one of the barriers she had placed there in an attempt to deter walkers from crawling under the bus. After crawling on her belly under the bus she removed a small peephole in an outside barrier and watched the parking lot until the car limped into view. "Shit!" she couldn't believe it. ED with a male companion. A thousand thoughts went thru her mind in seconds. "I can't do this again. I should have killed him long ago. But what about the other man? Was he an innocent passenger or another asshole? Shit!" She heard the other man caution ED as they approached. She wasn't worried about them coming through the bus because she had locked the back door and only unlocked it when she left the interior of the park.

"ED, I think this place is already claimed" the traveler said. "This bus was positioned to block the tunnel and did you notice all the stakes and spikes protruding thru the fence? Let's take our time on this and walk the fence line to see if there is any activity inside." They went to their right which would take them up the mountainside where they would have the same view of the park that Roxanne had when she first approached the park. She knew the view would be good there and that it would be hard to stay undercover without being noticed. No, she was not going to play this cat & mouse game. On this she needed to get out there and get it over with.

She crawled back to where Mutt was waiting for her with anticipation in his eyes. She had him get under the bus so he wouldn't be seen, told him to stay and pulled the barrier back with just enough room for him to get out if necessary. She picked up a ladder that she had placed for this possibility and leaned it against the hill that covered the tunnel. The hill extended out along the fence line and she would be able to run across it undetected. She knew that they could scale the fence but the hillside was wet with morning dew and any attempt by them to climb it would be a slow process. The ladder helped her to reach the top quickly, and then she ran along the top until she was directly above them and the sun would be in their face. She cocked the rifle and yelled, "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" (to be continued)

**ROXANNE'S STORY: CHAPTER ONE - 11****TH**** EN**TRY

Both Ed and the other man started to raise their hands to shield their eyes from the sun but Roxanne ordered them to keep their hands down. "I have a rifle trained on you and will blow both of you away before you even get a bead on me so don't move."

"Roxie?" Ed asked. "Roxanne is that you? I thought you were dead. How'd you get here?"

"I'm with a group," she answered. "They sent me out because I recognized you. We're not taking in any more people, least of all a worthless piece of Shit like you. Now beat it! Get out!" Ed started to whine, "The car is shot Roxie. You can't send us out on foot. We'll never make it. You know what it's like out there. You know that I'm good with cars Roxanne. I can be helpful. I can keep things running but I'm just no good out here. You gotta talk to them Roxie. They gotta let us in."

Roxanne hesitated. Ed had a point there, he was good with machinery. He could get the Water Wheel going again to keep the pond water circulating and fresh. He was good with wood and could devise fishing poles, could make more stakes to fortify the fence, could build more barriers. He was useful as long as he was protected and not out in the ZA world.

She turned her gun on the other guy. "What's your name and what skills do you have?" "Name's Lucky", he said. "I'm good at tracking and hunting animals and I'm good with a gun." Roxanne was startled by the softness in his voice which surprised her. She hadn't heard that certain "calmness" in a person's voice since the ZA started. People now spoke in tones of fear; panic, screaming, yelling and even whispers had the tone of urgency in it. Ed had been whining and she had been yelling yet here was this man, this Lucky who had not let their drama suck him into the circle. She changed the tone in her own voice and said, "Well Lucky, if you can answer 3 questions to our satisfaction I'll talk to the council about letting you in." … (to be continued).

**ROXANNE'S STORY: CHAPTER ONE - 12****TH**** ENT**RY:

Roxanne sat on the rock pile watching Lucky and Ed work on the Water Wheel and clogged pipes to the filtration system. They had been here for 3 days and she didn't know how much longer she could keep up with her lies. She wasn't worried about Ed although he would be mad once he found out that there wasn't a "group" working in another section of the park. Ed was happy to have a bunk, food, shelter, protection and was actually taking pride in his work. She had seen him smile a few times as he stood back with his hands on his skinny hips and surveyed his accomplishment at the end of the day.

But Lucky? She hadn't fooled Lucky from day one and wondered why he hadn't said something before now. From the moment she handcuffed them to one another and let them out of their bunk, his eyes never stopped taking in the place. He said he was a good tracker but she suspected that he had been a cop, detective or a bounty hunter. Maybe military, because he saw all the indications that the place was deserted.

'Boss, may I approach for water?" Lucky called out taunting her. She had to hide her face so he couldn't see her smile.

"Take it slow so Mutt doesn't tear into you." She watched him as he approached the water bucket which was 8' away from her. He kept his eyes on Mutt as Roxanne kept her eyes on Lucky. His face was glistening with sweat and a few brown hairs had escaped from his ponytail so she didn't think that he was faking the need for water. Mutt stood up and began to growl. She calmed the dog but didn't tell him to sit, wanting Mutt to be ready if Lucky should make a movement toward her.

Lucky used the ladle to get a drink then took his eyes off the dog and put them on her. "When do you plan on telling us that the place is empty, Roxanne?" he asked in that soft voice. "Or do you want me to tell Ed for you after you've locked us up tonight? He'll be plenty mad that a woman made a fool out of him but he'll have all night to get over it."

"And you Lucky?" she asked. "Would you feel like a fool?"

He took another drink of water and shook his head, "Nawwww. I figure you had to be careful. I know you can take care of yourself because I saw in your eyes that you were ready to take Ed's head off right then and there. You just didn't plan it out well, that's all. No one can go it alone anymore Roxanne."

Roxanne smiled, "Oh, I'm not the complete fool Lucky."… (To be continued)

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER ONE - 13****TH**** ENTRY**:

Lucky & Roxanne sat on the porch of her cabin, both tired after another productive day. It had grown dark and the only sounds were the crickets. Ed had decided he was going to bunk in the garage and was moving a cot from the First Aid Lounge into the facility. He felt safer within the bay's steel doors especially since the facility only had 1 window. Lucky had convinced Roxanne that they did not have the manpower to fortify the whole park and that they needed to centralize. "Start with a smaller space and build your wall. Localize everything you need within it and if our group grows then you can expand by building another wall outside the central wall, and so forth."

They saw a flashlight approaching from the pathway and Mutt started to growl. Ed came into view carrying a gas can and said that he had seen several sheds throughout the park which he thought could contain generators. "You know, in case they lost electricity and people were stuck on the rides. They'd have generators near to get the people down. I'm not an electrician but I thought I would check out a few and see if they still run." Lucky & Roxanne looked at each other. Ed was going out alone at night?

"That's mighty big of you Ed," Lucky said. "If you want to fiddle with it go right ahead. " After Ed left Roxanne told Mutt to keep an eye on him. Mutt's head snapped around to look at her as if Roxanne was crazy. "You don't need to like him Mutt, just make sure he doesn't get into any trouble. Stay your distance." Mutt got up, hesitated, and then slowly walked off as if he were going to see the Vet.

"We need to block off all the various paths leading out into the park and centralize here. We have all these amusement rides and can use the metal instead of wood. In fact we can take the cars off the rides and stack them to build a barrier," Lucky expanded.

They exchanged ideas for another twenty minutes when suddenly Roxanne grabbed his arm. "Wait! Did Ed intend to start the equipment NOW? At NIGHT?" They immediately received the answer when the sky suddenly lite up by ED having turned on the Ferris wheel. The lights flashed several times followed by a grinding sound and then the wheel slowly started to turn. Both of them made a mad dash into the night, yelling "turn it off Ed. Turn it off!"

Cami, Gene and Morgan had taken the first night shift and were in a circle surrounding the camp when Cami noticed the glow in the far distance. She walked over to where Gene and Morgan had already gathered and asked "What the Hell? Those lights are moving. Do you see that?" she turned to look at Gene.

"Looks like Dollywood is already occupied" he said, crossing his arms.

"And occupied by damn fools" growled Morgan.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER ONE - 14****TH**** entry**: 

While Lucky and Ed were busy dismantling the park rides Roxanne decided to move her get-away car to the outside of the fence-line. She had not told either of the men about her backup plan and especially did not trust Ed. She had seen how he freaks out when in a state of panic. If he knew the location of her car it would be the first thing he'd go for and he would leave her, Lucky and everything else behind. Eventually Ed will have another car ready for backup so there was no reason to disclose to either of the men about her little secret.

She slowed her step as she approached the car and came to a stop as she spotted 3 walkers outside the fence. They had seen her, pressing their body against the fence with their arms extended through the links. It had been so long since she had seen a walker that she was momentarily stunned. They must have been close last night when ED started the Ferris wheel or they wouldn't be at the fence already. She took the steel bar that ED had pounded down into a point, went to the fence and was able to kill two of the walkers by puncturing their skulls through the chain links. But the 3rd walker she could not get to because of bushes on her side of the fence. She decided that he was not a danger and went about her business of taking the tarp off the car, starting it and getting back out again to unlock the gates which would open outward. Getting back into the car she used the vehicle to do the work for her, bumping the front fender against the gate and letting it open a little, then bumping the gates again until finally the car could get thru. The 3rd walker lunged at the car but Roxanne planned on it following her away from the park gate.

She maneuvered the car around the saplings until she reached a bend in the road where she could park it without it being seen from inside the fence. She was met by 2 more walkers on the road. Hell, ED must have brought in every walker that was on the hillside last night. She pulled the car off the road into a bed of pine needles and got out with her steel pole. The 2 walkers were too close together so she separated them by side-kicking one causing it to fall. She had learned that her legs were her strongest asset so she always started with a kick to the legs or stomach of a walker to slow them or knock them down first. Then finish them off with a blow to the head with her pickaxe.

The 2nd walker lunged at her but as she lashed out to kick him he stumbled and fell at her feet. She lost her balance since her kick did not meet contact with the target and almost fell on top of him. The walker had grabbed her other leg when he fell and was attempting to pull her leg toward him. The 1st walker was already up and coming toward her when Mutt suddenly appeared and began barking to draw the walker away from Roxanne. She kicked at the downed walker until he lost his grip on her pants leg then quickly smashed his head with the pickaxe. Mutt had drawn the other walker away and it now had its back to Roxanne. She got on her feet and in a moment of anger that she hadn't felt since she wanted to kill Ed Roxanne used the axe to bury it in the walker's ear. When it fell she went down on her knees and used her knife to stab it over and over again. (continuing..)

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER ONE - 15TH ENTRY. 

Roxanne was still on her knees, breathless with the kill of the walker. She used her forearm to wipe the sweat off her face and pushed her hair back. Mutt came up to her and nudged her elbow, whining, trying to lick her face. "Good boy, good boy. Where did you come from?" She looked up to see Lucky at a distance standing in the middle of the road. Her heart dropped. Oh Shit, how could she explain this? She got up and walked over to the car and waited for him to close the distance. He was silent. She quickly checked her back pocket and realized that the axe was still embedded in the walker's ear. The steel bar was where she had dropped it but she still had her knife. His silence was scaring her but when he was close enough she saw that he was fighting several emotions. His eyes showed anger, confusion, distrust and concern. But worse of all there was the look of hurt in his eyes. He saw the knife in her hand and stopped 6' from her, still silent waiting for Roxanne to speak first.

Why was her heart beating so fast? …..Because she had recently killed her first human while on the road with Mutt and it had left a deeper mark on her than the entire ZA of killing Walkers. He was still a stranger to her and she knew that Lucky would be too strong for her if it was his intent to kill her first.

Mutt stood to the side, looking from one to the other then approached Roxanne and tapped her leg as if to awaken her from a dream and bring her back to reality. "I…I couldn't let Ed know" she whispered. "If anything happened he'd take it and abandon us. Both of us." She sensed that Lucky was trying to get inside her mind and read the truth there. Then he took a step forward and reached out for her but quickly dropped his arms and stepped back again when Mutt started to growl. "Call off your dog," he calmly asked, or ordered, she couldn't tell which but decided to take her chances. "Sit Mutt."

Lucky stepped forward to put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her into his arms. Roxanne froze from the human contact, and a loving gesture of human contact at that. She did not put her arms around him in return but she did briefly put her cheek against his shoulder. "Remind me to never piss you off," Lucky said. She touched his arm and stepped out of his embrace.

"How did you know I was here?"

"Mutt. He wouldn't leave me alone, kept pulling at my clothes and growling. When I didn't see you around I became suspicious. He led me to the back gate. Never been back here before." Roxanne went over and retrieved her axe from the walker's ear and heard Lucky open the car door. "Looks like you have it fully stocked." He got out the tarp and began covering the car while she picked up her steel bar. But then Mutt started whining and backing up. They turned to see another walker up the road and Lucky asked, "You up for this?"

She shook her head, "No, I've had my fill of walkers today. Ed must have called them out from miles around" she sighed. They both turned and began to trot back toward the compound together.

*** END OF CHAPTER ONE

READERS: From this point I will begin Chapter Two of Roxanne's story, 1st Entry.

BEGIN CHAPTER 2 FOR THE INSTITUTION

BEGIN ACCESSING "ROXANNE & LUCKY" IN WORD.


	2. Chapter 2

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 1ST ENTRY.

Once Roxanne, Lucky and Mutt were back at the compound Roxanne locked the gate, put the rawhide string with the key around her neck and dropped the key under her shirt. Lucky noticed this and asked, "Is that the only key?"

"If I die you can always take it off my dead body," Roxanne answered and walked away. As Lucky watched her disappear around a bend in one of the paths he leaned down to pet Mutt and said, "If only you could talk Mutt, perhaps you could explain her to me." Mutt seemed to understand with a short "woof" and trotted off after Roxanne.

"This is not going to happen" Roxanne was thinking to herself and knew she should slow her walk down. If she walked any faster it would appear as if she were running away. "I'm not going to fall for the first guy who walks into this place. I don't know Lucky, don't want to know Lucky, and don't want to know anybody ever again. They are all gone sooner or later. I'll be gone sooner or later. None of us are going to survive this new world. It'll go back to the animals, the forests, the oceans."

Her thoughts were interrupted by a scream for "Help! Someone help me!" Roxanne recognized Ed's voice and started running for the center of the park only to be passed by Lucky.

"Help! Where is everybody? Lucky help me!" She rounded a corner in time to see Lucky pick up a steel bar and swing a blow to a walker's head. Ed had climbed part of the Ferris wheel and was trapped there by a walker below. Lucky made quick work of the walker and as Ed started to climb down he began yelling at them. "Where the hell have you 2 been? Leaving me all alone out here, unprotected and abandoning me!"

Roxanne quickly recovered and said, "The walkers are gathering at the fence. Those lights and the noise last night have them moving this way."

"We killed 4 of them," Lucky said looking at Roxanne, "but I guess there was a 5th that we missed." Roxanne had assumed that the walker she left at the fence would follow her in the car but now she knew that it had come thru the gate and there was no explaining that away.

Ed jumped to the ground and asked, "Yeah, but how are they getting in? Is there a breach in the fence?" His face was white with fear. He had thought he was safe here and that they were building a good beginning to a stable life. The thought of going on the road again, or fighting walkers terrified him. "Maybe I should concentrate on getting one of the service cars running instead of this other stuff. After all, we don't have a running vehicle yet" and he walked off.

Lucky waited until Ed was out of range then turned to Roxanne and said, "He's lying. He's been working on a vehicle every night after he thinks we have gone to bed."

"And you didn't tell me?" Roxanne asked.

"What else haven't you told me, Roxanne?"

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 2ND ENTRY:

When Roxanne had first arrived at Dollywood it was the cafeteria that had been the deciding factor on whether she would stay or not. Food was the first thing she had looked for and the pantry in the cafeteria was stocked beyond her imagination. There were boxes of food ranging from dried cereal to noodles. There were cans and jars of peaches, spam, vegetables, coffee and tea. There were bottles of water, soda and juices. Once she found the cabin and decided to make it her place of residence she moved a supply that would last 7 days to that location. But the rest she left in the cafeteria since it was better protected from animals and weather. She knew she would still need to ration it but the bounty overcame the eerie feeling she had at night that the place was haunted. The collapsed rides and buildings gave off distorted shadows at night and she still hadn't found the building where a door would bang when the breeze picked up. There was also the flapping of flags strung between buildings or from poles that gave off the sound of giant bats flapping at night. One morning she elected not to do more important things and went around to every place where flags were strung and cut them down although she wasn't able to get them all. Any movement attracted walkers which enforced her decision that she was doing the right thing in neglecting other chores and cutting down the flags. Those flags would be like a beacon to them, continuously moving and at night it seemed as if the sound could be heard for miles. It was the one thing that she felt would send her over the edge and she had been tenacious in cutting them down and stomping on them.

But on this day Roxanne remembered a sign posted in the Cafeteria that Dollywood took pride in using vegetables from their own gardens so she decided to check out the Landscaping Office and green house. There were plenty of jars of canned fruits and vegetables in storage but she wanted to save those for the winter months and use fresh during the warmer seasons. She thought she would check those 2 places to look for packages of seeds that they could plant. Perhaps Dollywood even sold seeds from their gardens and would have a supply of them.

She found some tools that they could use in the Landscaping Office but other than a schedule of planting seasons she found nothing useful. She went over to the Greenhouse but it was disastrous. Part of the roof had fallen in but the plants that were still receiving rain water were starting to sprout in their bins. The foliage looked like it would be tulips but nothing that they could eat. She smiled when she spotted a rack in the corner which held packages of seeds. She was shifting through them when Ed came in and said "I wanted to talk to you without Lucky around. I got a car started."

"That's great Ed."

He came up to her and said, "But here's the problem. I saw what looks like a logging road about 20 feet outside of the fence and those 20 feet is heavily wooded. If we want to use that logging road for escape that 20 feet will need to be cleared of brush."

"That's no problem Ed" Roxanne said as she continued to flip thru the packages. "We can help you with that."

"I don't want Lucky to know." That got Roxanne's attention. She stopped flipping thru the packages and looked up. "If the Shit hits the fan Roxie it's just you and me. We did it before, we can do it again and you've learned a lot more. It'll be one less mouth to feed. I'll clear off the land I just need you to cover for me so he doesn't suspect anything. I've already cut a hole in the fence"…

"YOU DID WHAT?"

"It's alright Roxie; I wired it back up again. It's safe but I needed access to get in and out, it just takes a little time to unravel the wire again, but quick enough if the situation gets bad. Are you with me Roxie?"

Roxanne stared him down. She couldn't believe it, that Ed would leave Lucky behind. She hadn't asked how long they had traveled together. She had been here a week before the 2 of them showed up at Dollywood. She had spent 3 days with the old lady; had been on the road alone 3 days before that and she & Mutt had been together for a week before arriving here. She was sure that Lucky had saved Ed's life several times over.

"Yeah Ed, I'm with you, but like you said, things will be different this time. I've learned a lot more". Ed took a step backward from the cold steely stare that Roxanne gave him and felt a chill go up his spine. After a few more steps backward he turned and left the Greenhouse. Roxanne continued to stare at the door then muttered, "The prick"

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 3rd Entry:

Lucky watched from the window as Ed filled the car trunk with food, blankets, camping gear and some homemade weapons. It was dark and Ed was using a small lantern but Lucky could tell what the supplies were. Once Ed turned down the lantern and settled into his cot for the night Lucky walked back to join Roxanne on her porch.

"Well?" she asked

"Yeah, he's loading it up now."

"He's not going to skip out on us Lucky", Roxanne said. "He's not that brave and wouldn't know where to go. Hell, if we had to leave out of here real fast I wouldn't know where to go. Never thought about it. Always had Dollywood in mind and never thought past that. Here," she handed him a bottle of whiskey that was half consumed. "Don't know if it's still any good or not. I found it in the Groundskeepers desk."

Lucky took the bottle and looked at it for a moment. He took the top off and smelled it then sampled a swallow. Roxanne waited until he stopped coughing and asked, "What went down between the 2 of you on the road? Ed needs a protector. Why would he want to dump you?"

Lucky tried to clear his throat without success so he threw caution to the wind and took another swallow. "You traveled with him Roxanne. You know his antics. The first time he returned after driving off because a walker was near the car, I pulled him out of that car and put him in a store where I knew there was a walker. Oh, I stayed in the store with him so the walker wouldn't bite him, but while he was running around screaming I told him if he ever did that again that I would lock him in a room with a walker. That I would take the car and not look back and never give him the pleasure of shooting him in the head. I didn't have trouble with him pulling off after that, but a few times I did get back in the car to find he had puked because a walker was near the car. Between the puke, his sweat from fear and pissing his pants the smell never did leave that car. Glad to be rid of it."

Roxanne was sitting in a rocking chair and she had been slowly rocking during Lucky's story. Because it was so dark Lucky barely caught the movement that she was nodding in agreement. "Do you know that Ed never mentioned you, although I did notice that he wore a wedding band? Said he was with a group and that they became separated. Wasn't until that first night here when you locked us up in the shed and he knew who you were that I made him tell me about it. He said you were weak and a hindrance to him and that you had almost gotten him killed several times because of your stupidity. Sounded more like he was describing himself. That third night when I told him that you weren't with a group he wanted us to rush you. But, like I said, I knew he'd be mad until the next morning."

"So to answer your question," he continued, "I guess he wants revenge for making him live with that fear each time I went on a run. I don't think he's a danger to us though, except for doing stupid things like turning on the Ferris wheel. I don't think he'll come after either one of us because even in his warped mind he knows he needs us. But if others join us and there happens to be some disgruntled characters among them Ed will quickly switch sides."

*** ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 4TH ENTRY:

The 3 of them were continuing to work on the inner barrier when Roxanne stood up and said, "Wait… Stop... Listen". Lucky and Ed froze in their places tools still in their hands. After a pause Ed said, "I don't hear anything Roxie."

"I could have sworn that I heard a car engine." They continued to stand still, waiting but no one could pick up any unusual sounds. Finally Ed said, "Sound travels in these hills. Could be anywhere."

"I say that we stay on alert today," Lucky said checking his gun. "If Roxanne said she heard something then I trust her judgment. She's been here longer than we have and knows what sounds are unusual to the place."

"Still, I'd feel better if I crawl under the bus and check out the peephole to the front gates," Roxanne said. "I'll send Mutt back if I see anything."

From under the bus Roxanne could only see the tires of Ed's abandoned vehicle, the ground surrounding it and that portion of the lot that a car would enter. Everything was clear from this angle. She did not see any additional cars of the legs of anyone walking around. After crawling out from under the bus Roxanne put the ladder up against the hill covering the tunnel and climbed up with her rifle. From here her view was of the parking lot and surrounding trees, but the heavy woods kept her from seeing beyond that. She could see only a portion of the road further out, but it was only a small section. She carefully looked around for any movement in the foliage, for any sight, sound or smell that shouldn't be there. She paced to her left and scanned the mountainside that she had used when she first arrived. Then she walked over to her right and looked down into the ravine bordering the west side of the park.

Cami and Brandon knelt further down into the brush. "Do you see that?" Cami whispered, "Only 1 guard. Must not be a large group."

"Yeah", Brandon said, "and a female guard at that."

Cami glared at him, "What the hell does that mean?"

"Sorry", Brandon looked away, "Keep forgetting that there are women like you Cami. No disrespect."

They waited until the Roxanne was out of sight but Cami felt that the guard appeared to be alert and looking for something or someone. She wasn't completely certain that they were undetected. "Let's check the rest of the perimeter so we can see what's on the other side of the fence."

Roxanne left the ladder up after she descended feeling that she would be checking the front entrance several times before and after nightfall. She and Mutt walked back to where Lucky and Ed were still working on the inner barrier. "You were gone long enough" Ed whined.

"Didn't see anything, but something doesn't feel right," Roxanne said with concern.

"Roxanne," Lucky said, "The Park is huge. We can't guard it all. If someone is out there they will make themselves known to us."

"So what are you saying Lucky? That we should just stand here in a group where we can easily be picked off," Roxanne's sarcasm was coming through.

Lucky stood up from his digging and leaned on his shovel. "Well if you stand over us with that rifle while we're working they'll think we are your slaves and they won't mess with you," Lucky said with a smile on his face. Roxanne hated it when he got that twinkle in his eye.

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 5TH ENTRY:

After a lunch of Spam, green beans and applesauce Ed left the cafeteria saying that he was tired and was going to take a nap. Lucky and Roxanne watched him leave and turned to each other with a knowing look. "He's going to clear out some more brush so his car can access the logging road," Lucky said.

"Most definitely" Roxanne agreed. "He hasn't checked out that road yet, doesn't know how far it goes or if it's blocked. He wouldn't venture that far from the park or from the gates."

"Do you know where your road leads?" Lucky questioned.

"It obviously a service road and would swing back toward the main road but no, I haven't checked to see if it's blocked."

"Well, while he's busy let's check the gate again to see if more walkers have accumulated and if it's clear we can walk up the road a piece before Ed misses us," Lucky said as he picked up his sharpened pipe.

The Security Office had not been helpful to Roxanne when she first arrived and searched the place. She found a rifle but it appeared that Dollywood was only equipped for shooting wild animals that may encroach too close to the property. The three of them had agreed to only use a gun in an extreme emergency and to adapt to using the pipes that Ed had sharpened into a point although they always wore their holstered guns.

Roxanne picked up her staff and followed him out when they heard several gunshots and Ed screaming. Both ran in the direction that they knew Ed would be working in and were met by Mutt running toward them. They found that there were walkers trying to push thru the fence to get to Mutt while other walkers were slowly surrounding Ed in the brush that he was clearing. Ed had panicked causing most of his shots to go wild, not hitting anything but creating a danger to both Roxanne and Lucky. They heard his cylinder click on empty but he had the presence of mind to pick up his pole while continuing to scream.

Lucky & Roxanne concentrated on the walkers pushing thru the fence. Once the walkers had spotted humans they bunched up trying to push at once. This made it easier for Lucky & Roxanne to kill them quickly by stabbing them in the head but it didn't look as if they would get to Ed in time. After dispensing of the walkers they climbed through the fence opening, pulling out their pistols at the same time. Before either of them could fire off a shot gunfire rang out from the foliage on the opposite side of the road. They froze in their tracks and watched as each of the walkers were carefully picked off with a headshot. Then there was silence.

"We're coming out," a woman's voice said. "Don't know if ya'll are as crazy wild with a gun as he is, but we don't want to be ducking for cover."

"Holster your gun" Lucky whispered to Roxanne, "but keep your hand on the handle."

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 6TH ENTRY:

Roxanne stood at the back door of the bus and watched as each person came through. Ed was standing in the isle while Lucky waited outside the bus to lead everyone to the Admin Bldg. Lucky had been trying to get her to move into the Admin bldg. for a long time, saying it was safer than the cabin. He was now delighted that it would be put to use.

She could hear Ed mumbling behind her, "What's the problem Ed?" she asked.

"How are we going to feed all these people, Roxanne" he whined. Morgan, who was a construction laborer before the ZA was passing Ed and overheard the comment. He stopped and answered, "You don't need to worry about us. We know how to take care of our own."

Then a teenage girl and a boy of about 12 came onto the bus and Ed had more comments, "Damn, we have kids too! What the hell were you thinking, Roxanne? This is a bad move, bad idea!"

By that time everyone was through the bus. Roxanne locked the door and walked up to Ed, "You just keep your mouth shut and your opinion to yourself until we find out more about these people. They saved your life, Jerk" she hissed at him. She regretted that, calling him a Jerk. She didn't want to alienate him at this point since he was still very useful mechanically. He had managed to get a few generators going and knew how to use the welding torch to construct the barrier.

She walked to the Admin Bldg. where Lucky was proudly showing off the offices. "I know it is filled with desks and files right now," he gestured into one of the rooms, "but we can clear that out and each person could have their own room. The Medical Office has some cots we can use but some of you will still need your sleeping bags. The Lobby would make a good meeting place for everyone."

"The Lobby has glass doors," Cami said. Cami was the woman who had called out to them. She was a small black woman but she made up for that by strapping as many ammo belts across her chest that she could carry. "We will need to fortify those".

"Yes", Lucky replied, "We haven't been here that long and there's still so much to do. We can certainly use the help and suggestions."

Roxanne stepped up and announced, "We will show you where everything is and you can get settled in. It's up to your group to decide who gets what room and what is needed for your comfort."

While everyone began wandering through the rooms and making claims Lucky pulled Roxanne aside, "that was rude" he whispered.

"We're not their protector, their leader" she said. "Everyone pulls their weight around here. What talents they have remains to be seen."

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 7TH ENTRY:

It had been an exhausting day for Roxanne and it showed in her body language as she sat in the rocker on her cabin porch. It had been nothing but questions and criticism from the new group on what should have been done or could have been done better. She believed that they had been in a group for so long that they had forgotten how hard it was for a woman to survive alone.

There were 7 of them, most not related and found as stragglers along the way. Gene who appeared to be the leader was married to Sally; they had picked up the black man Morgan and his 12 year old son Caleb in a small town that had been overrun. Brandon was their point man on scouting missions; Cami, a small black woman who equipped herself with enough ammo to invade a small country and KC, a teenage girl with wild hair who they found alone in a K-Mart. She was so traumatized that they had not been able to get her to say more than a few words and had nicknamed her KC since she could not remember her name. She was reclusive but they had seen that she was good in a fight.

The day had started when Roxanne came upon an argument between Ed and Morgan which had probably lingered from Ed's remark of the previous day. "How are we supposed to fix this place up if we don't know what we have for tools?" Morgan was yelling. She intervened and asked what was going on.

"Ed won't let me inside the mechanic bay," Morgan said. Ed glared at Roxanne silently asking her to take his side. "That is Ed's home, Morgan. He lives there, bunks there. You can't ask someone if you can search their home. If you need something just tell Ed and he will let you know if we have such a tool, right Ed?" She glared back but Ed looked away. "RIGHT Ed?" Ed mumbled compliance and shuffled away.

Later Cami approached Roxanne and asked what sections of the park had been left unsearched. Not wanting Cami to know of the back entrance just yet she pointed in the opposite direction and said, "We haven't searched the pavilion, the concert hall, the music hall or the entertainment section. We know there aren't any walkers because they would have heard us by now, unless they are locked in somewhere." Cami said she would get some help and check it out.

"Oh Roxanne", Sally hailed. "Could I ask you to show me the cafeteria and what you have in the pantry? I'm a good cook and it will be nice to cook with propane again." She must have seen Roxanne's look of concern. Pantry or not, food still needed to be rationed. "Oh, we will be contributing" Sally added. "The men are good at hunting." 

She met Brandon on the path coming from the bus where he had retrieved more items from their vehicles. "Roxanne, why did you jamb the bus into the tunnel rather than park it outside the tunnel where you could move it out of the way to bring in vehicles? Then move it back against the tunnel when you want to secure the place again. The way you have it now, you've cornered yourself in here with no way out."

Roxanne could feel the exhaustion starting to creep up and her patience wearing thin. "Because I was alone Brandon, without a running vehicle, with only a dog to guide me and I did the best I could." She turned and walked away with Brandon staring after her.

Unknown to her Brandon spoke to Gene and Morgan of this conversation. "I don't think Roxanne likes the idea of taking us in". Gene put his hand on Brandon's shoulder, "This was their home Brandon, and right now I'm sure that they feel we are guests here. Let's walk softly until they get to know us."

Morgan objected, "We can contribute and I can't say that they did a very good job of securing this place."

"Let's not tell them that Morgan. There is only the 3 of them and, let's face it, they've had to deal with Ed." They started laughing but cut it short when Ed walked by.

Lucky walked up to Roxanne's porch and took a seat on the bench beside her rocker, "Very productive day, don't you think?" Roxanne cut her eyes at him but did not give an answer. "OK, this will make you feel better" as he pulled 2 bottles from his satchel and put them before her. "Gin & Tonic, your favorite. And it hasn't been opened so we won't get sick from gut rot."

"Where on earth did you find those?" she asked.

"At the Entertainment Section" he got up to get 2 glasses from the cabin. "Cami and I checked it out and the bar hasn't been touched."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO 8****TH**** ENTR**Y:

Morgan realized why Roxanne and Lucky had kept Ed around when Ed managed to start the bus. He had been working on it for 2 days but only grumbled when anyone asked him about his progress. There had been a group meeting and everyone agreed that the entrance could not be permanently blocked, thus impeding a speedy exit if necessary. The bus loudly backfired amongst a cloud of smoke and Morgan could hear Ed stripping the gears trying to get the transmission to cooperate. Everyone held their breath as the bus moved a foot, then another and finally they cheered as Ed managed to catch a gear to back the bus out of the tunnel. Morgan couldn't help himself and gave Ed a thumbs-up as he went past. Ed was beaming with his own success and nodded back to Morgan.

Ed waited until everyone drove their car into the park and was about to move the bus across the entrance when Morgan pounded on the door, "Let me in. I'll ride with you and help guide the bus against the wall."

Ed opened the doors but didn't move the bus any further. "I don't know if this is a good idea Morgan. This bus is in bad shape. The clutch is stripped and once I park it we may not be able to move it again. The clutch isn't something they would have parts for in the park. They would have taken the bus into town for something that big."

"Well" Morgan replied, "We can't leave the entrance open. Let's just follow the instructions we were given and let the group know tonight what your suspicions are." Later that day Morgan saw Gene and gave him a heads-up on the potential problem with the bus.

"There must be another entrance" Gene said. "A place this big would have a separate road for deliveries."

"Well, didn't you say that you found Ed clearing out brush to access a road?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah, but that was just a dirt road and not much of one. Was probably used for utility purposes like the power lines. Could even be a logging trail or a dirt bike trail. Not something I would want the cars on. We'll bring it up at council tonight."

Roxanne was directing the cars into places inside their barrier when she saw Ed coming back from parking the bus. "That was a good job you did Ed. Made me proud."

Ed told her of the condition of the bus. "They are gonna bring it up at the council tonight. They're gonna look for another way out."

Roxanne stopped in her tracks, "What?"

"Yeah, I heard Morgan tell Gene about it. Gene said there must be a service road. Don't know why I didn't think of that instead of cutting brush to some dirt trail. Why didn't you think of that Roxanne?"

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 9****TH**** ENTRY****:**

Roxanne caught up with Lucky before the council meeting and pulled him aside. Those meetings had been awkward since they were conducted by Gene and she did not feel part of their group. She would let Gene conduct his meeting and would give out an answer only when he directed a question to her. Lucky was more comfortable with them but Roxanne had too many secrets to hide including her burning desire in the past to kill Ed. Only Lucky knew of the car outside the gate and Ed was not aware that Lucky knew of his secret car.

She pulled Lucky aside and said, "I'm feeling boxed in here. How far do we go withholding information or giving misinformation?"

Lucky gave her a confused look, "what do you mean? I haven't been withholding information, have you? Although I noticed that you are rather withdrawn from the conversation at the meetings."

"Ed overheard Morgan and Gene talking about finding a service road, a back entrance and we haven't told them of the car that we have stashed outside the gates. Also, I've been sheltering Ed from them finding out about his car" Roxanne said.

"I'd completely forgotten about our car with all the excitement around here so I don't think it will come across as hiding anything from them. If they ask us about a back entrance we tell them the truth. In fact we could use their help if the road needs to be cleared. We haven't checked and if any trees are down or portions of the road have been washed away we will need extra hands to clear it. As far as Ed's car, they have plenty of their own so I don't think there is a need to mention it. If they discover it I'll act just as surprised as they since Ed thinks he has been successful in hiding it from me. Are you worried as to Ed's reaction when the subject comes up about a back entrance?" Lucky asked.

Roxanne shook her head, "He never asked me what happened back in that town and never told you that he had been traveling with a wife. He has seen that I have changed but I wouldn't want to air our dirty laundry in front of the council".

"Roxanne everyone is beginning a new life in this unknown world. Why start out with lies and deceptions?" Lucky questioned.

She smiled, "That's the point Lucky. People can be whoever they want to be, whatever they want to be. And I chose not to be Roxanne Carter, wife of Eddie Carter and right now they don't know that we are married."

Lucky's face lit up in a big grin, "OK, I can understand that. And I know that they will find it curious that you are not sharing quarters with him or that I am spending a lot of time on your front porch at night." He reached out for her hand and she was surprised at how comfortable she felt in putting her hand in his. "If the subject of a back exit comes up we tell them of the service road and our car. To hell with Ed. I would say that you gave yourself a ZA divorce a long time ago."

They turned and walked back toward the compound. When they were out of sight the bushes along the path trembled and KC stepped out onto the path. She stared after them with a smile and an evil gleam in her eye. "Lucky", she repeated over and over again.

**Roxanne's Story – Chapter Two – 10****th**** Entr**y: 

There never was a problem at the meeting that night since neither Ed nor KC appeared. Attendance at the meetings was not mandatory and since the group consisted of only 10 people communication was not a problem. But it was an opportunity to gather and exchange ideas and to be among other people as a pretense that the world was normal.

When Gene asked about a back entrance Roxanne openly admitted that she had it locked and that the key was with her. She offered to show him the proper path to access it the next day and volunteered the information that she had a car parked at a distance outside. On that statement Brandon wrinkled his brow and asked, "Outside? Wouldn't it have been better to keep the car inside in case of being overrun by walkers? How do you know that the distance between the gate and the car wouldn't also be filled with walkers?"

"I had it inside the gate at one time" Roxanne answered. "It wasn't the walkers I was concerned about. It was other…other humans. If I thought of this place as a possible shelter, so could others. And humans want what other humans have. If my biggest fear came from that direction then hopefully I could escape to a car that they were unaware of, but if the car was on the grounds they could easily find it."

Brandon nodded, "I see" but he was not satisfied with her answer.

They spoke of sightings of walkers, that they were still manageable but they had noticed an increase and all agreed that it was probably the Ferris wheel that Ed had started which had attracted those in the near vicinity. Hopefully the walkers would start to thin out again. They spoke of taking the Ferris wheel apart and stacking the steel seats as part of the barrier. They could use the steel frame on the fence as stakes if Ed could take it apart.

Although Lucky had a room in the Admin Bldg. he always walked Roxanne back to her cabin after a meeting, which left the group alone to talk about them. "Did anyone notice that Roxanne always uses the word "humans" instead of "people?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah, I caught that," Morgan answered. "Not just this time, but in the past too."

"So what's the problem?" Cami asked.

"The problem" Brandon replied, "is that she doesn't see us as people, she sees us as a species. If the ZA has drained her of all emotion toward mankind then she could see any one of us as 'expendable'." He looked at Sally and Cami, "Have either one of you had a personal talk with Roxanne to get some insight into her inner depth?" They both shook their head.

"I'm not the girl talk kind," Cami said. "I'm not the one to try to get inside Roxanne's head. I think she doesn't trust us yet, probably doesn't trust anyone. She got here alone, began building the place alone, has survived alone and we don't know what she experienced along the way. Hell, we've all been that route, have our own stories. Personally, I don't care to hear any more of them and perhaps Roxanne is the same way. 'Get over it and get on with your life' type of attitude. "

Sally got up and sighed, "I'll see if I can approach her, but I'm not picking up any hostility from her. Withdrawn yes, but depending on how long she's been alone it may just be that she's trying to adapt to having people around again. By the way, anyone know where KC is?"

**Roxanne's Story – Chapter Two – 11****th**** Entry****: **

KC had been watching ED through the only window of the Maintenance Shop. Twice in the past he had caught her watching and ran her off. She slipped away from the others as often as she could, feeling uncomfortable in a group of people. She knew she needed them for protection, but sometimes the chattering of so many people started to swirl around in her head. She couldn't isolate one conversation from another and the meetings after dinner were the worst. Sometimes she would go into the darkest corner and just slump down to get away from it all.

She heard the bay doors open and quickly moved away from the light. "KC, I know you're out there," Ed said. "You been watching for a couple of days and I know you're curious. OK, then. Come on in. I know you want to see what's under the tarp." She debated since no one liked or trusted Ed, but she had noticed that Ed liked to be alone just as much as she did, although he never ventured far from his digs here. She came around the corner of the building so Ed could see her.

"I trust you kid. You and me, we're alike so this will be just our little secret", Ed pointed inside as if he were about to show her something. When KC didn't move he went inside and waited next to the car. He knew she would be curious and he was right as he saw her slide into the light. "This is what you have been wondering about, right?" and he pulled the tarp from the car. He began to slowly walk around the car, caressing it as he went, talking the whole time.

"It's a beauty, ain't it? Got it running, got it fully stocked with supplies, I plan ahead you know? Those others they have plans too, but I don't trust my life in the hands of others. I look out for myself and if their plan falls through I have my own backup plan."

KC had been walking into the garage as Ed spoke, not taking her eyes off the car. "You see, I found a dirt road probably used by loggers or the electric co for the transformers outside the park. I can take you with me." At that KC looked up from the car and at Ed for the first time.

"Yeah, that's it, just you and me babe. But you gotta help me too because I need to clear out some brush to reach that road. That's where you come in," Ed had been edging toward her. "You help me with the brush and I'll take you along," he reached out and attempted to put his arm around KC's shoulder.

KC immediately jumped back to pull her knife in a threatening motion and began to hiss. Ed put his hands up, "Ok, ok I get the message. Don't need to tell me twice. Just being friendly that's all. You think it over, KC. The offer still stands."

KC stopped hissing and still holding her knife she slowly backed out of the shop, never taking her eyes off Ed. Finally she disappeared in the darkness while under his breath Ed did some hissing of his own, "Damn!"

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 12****TH**** EN**TRY:

Roxanne and Lucky sat on her porch in silence. There had not been any physical contact between them since Roxanne let Lucky take her hand on the path. She was a complete mystery to him but since he saw the viciousness in which she killed those walkers by the car he knew there was more to Roxanne than she was showing. She never talked about her life before the ZA or her life with Ed on the road. Ed had told him that Roxanne did not come out of the bar that night and that he left because he was sure that she was dead. Since Roxanne was still alive Lucky assumed that she chose that moment to go on her own. Unless she had gotten boxed in by walkers and had to wait it out and Ed was already gone by then. She was a beautiful woman and didn't know it, didn't know how her angelic features could draw a man into those eyes. Eyes that could change in an instant. Eyes that could freeze you out with a cold stare but would soften again if you pushed past the fight that she was having within herself.

"Things went well tonight," he said to break the silence. "Are you going to tell Ed before word gets back to him?"

"No", the moonlight caught her face as she turned to him. "I don't owe him an explanation as I felt I owed you one. Ed knows…"she looked away….."Ed knows that the woman he met on the hill pointing a rifle at him is not the woman he left at the Bar. Perhaps he's afraid of me now," she chuckled.

"He's still wearing his ring; you aren't. Don't you think that accounts for something?" Lucky asked.

"It means he will try to use it against me" she turned to him again. "If the information is useful to someone or if he needs a protector he will try to put claim on me. He thinks he can play me but he's becoming even hesitant on that thought. However, Ed doesn't throw away possibilities if it can be used to his advantage."

"What happened between you two Roxanne?"

"It's just another ZA story Lucky that I don't care to go into," she sighed. "You've been with him on the road. He put me in danger too many times and left me defenseless at the same time. You see this pistol" she patted her holster. "And the rifle I had? I had none of that when Ed sent me into places to scavenger for supplies. He sat in the car with the gun and you already know that he would lock the doors and put the windows up. The simple truth is that unknown to Ed, I learned from other groups how to fight and use a gun in preparation for leaving him and going out on my own." She got up and walked to the door of her cabin. He thought she was retiring for the day rather abruptly but then she paused and leaned down to say in a soft voice, "It was either that or kill him which I came close to several times."

Lucky continued to sit in the chair after Roxanne went into her cabin. He couldn't move. The hairs on the back of his neck were still prickly from the venom in her voice….

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 13TH ENTRY:

Roxanne had guard duty on the wall from 1 – 3 am but she had the advantage of having Mutt with her. They sent 2 people out together on each shift and although it wasn't a failsafe procedure they didn't want to become complacent by the fences. One would stay on the mound over the tunnel and the other would walk the fence line. They knew it was dangerous for anyone to be in the park alone, but no one was to investigate any noise or suspicious sighting on their own. They were to come back to the Admin bldg. and gather everyone to investigate in a group. Roxanne would stay on the mound for an hour then exchange places with Lucky who was walking the fence. No one was to fire a shot unless the danger was inside the fence and other methods of defending yourself were out of the question.

She arrived at the ladder to the mound and softly called out to Morgan that she was coming up. Mutt used the haphazard staircase that Morgan had built just for him. It wouldn't hold a human and probably wouldn't be standing for very long, but Mutt was able to manage jumping from one structure to another to get to the top. "Everything OK?" Roxanne asked when she met Morgan in the darkness.

"Yeah, fog coming in at the tree-line making visibility difficult and it also echoes sounds. Damn spooky if you ask me," Morgan said as he wiped the damp dew from his face. "You should have brought a poncho. This mist goes right through your clothes and makes them stick to your skin. Strange night," he said as he was descending the ladder. "I don't feel good about it at all." Then he disappeared into the darkness.

Roxanne usually sat cross-legged on the mound but her clothes were already sticking to her and she knew the ground would be wet so she stood while Mutt sat at her feet. She kept an eye on him in case he showed signs of detecting something in the fog. He sat like a King on his throne, jaws shut and ever so slowly turning his head from side to side as if he wanted to remember every twig and rock before him. She smiled at him and resisted the urge to reach down and pet him, afraid that she would disturb his concentration.

She had been walking the mound for perhaps half an hour when she thought she saw a light moving in the woods. She froze, waiting to see if it was dappled moonlight breaking through the fog and then went down on her belly in a swift motion. Mutt also flatted beside her and snorted looking in the same direction. She used the scope on the rifle but it only brought the fog in closer and did not help her visibility. She finally looked over the scope and could tell that it was definitely someone with a flashlight moving among the trees.

Mutt nudged her arm with his snout but did not make a sound. "Shhh, they don't know that we're here. Let's keep it that way," whereupon Mutt flattened further putting his chin on the ground. The flashlight went out at the edge of the forest where it gave way to bushes lining the circle of the turn-around parking lot. Roxanne knew the person was standing or crouching there watching for any movement on the mound. Her clothes were soaked through, her socks were wet in her shoes but the biggest annoyance was the dew running down her forehead and dripping into her eyes. She was afraid to move to wipe it away to get a better view.

Finally the boy stepped into a patch of moonlight that had briefly broken through the fog, and headed for the bus. "What the hell?", Roxanne thought as she recognized Caleb with a rabbit dangling in one hand and his crossbow in the other. He opened the back door to the bus which squeaked like hell, and quickly got in. Roxanne got up to sprint to the other side of the mound and saw him exit the tunnel. He waited; listening then put the flashlight back on and followed the path to the Admin Bldg.

Roxanne sat down putting her arms around Mutt and said, "What was that all about Mutt?" His answer was to lick her face, glad that she hadn't shot the boy. She began to chuckle, "Did he bribe you with the promise of bringing you back a rabbit? I thought you knew where everyone was at all times you traitor." She looked away to see the lamp of Lucky approaching from the fence-line. "I'll have a talk with that young boy in the morning."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 14****TH**** ENTR**Y:

The next morning Sally was bitching that the person who had so kindly supplied the rabbit could at least have given her some warning rather than the fright she received when she found it in the sink. No one would own up to it but Roxanne caught Caleb's eye before he turned away. As they were walking out to dispose of any walkers that had gathered against the fence during the night Gene remarked on how much he missed not having eggs in the morning.

"I noticed that ducks and geese have settled around the ponds," Cami said. "It takes about 30 days for eggs to hatch so we could have eggs up to that time."

"Wish we could find some chickens or wild turkeys," Gene said. "I'd keep them alive just for the eggs."

"I found some vegetable seeds in the landscaping dept.," Roxanne volunteered. "Anyone know anything about planting? Now would be the time to start doing it." Morgan said that he would take a try at it and then they all became busy killing the 10 or so walkers at the fence.

"When I first arrived here there weren't any walkers" Roxanne said when they finished. "After Ed started the Ferris wheel a few started drifting in but that was weeks ago. Yesterday we had 20, the day before 15. I think it is the noise we're making by fortifying this place and they all seem to be coming from this section that Ed was clearing. I wonder where this dirt road leads."

Gene asked Roxanne if she had checked her car parked outside the grounds since Ed started the Ferris wheel. She had only checked it that once and decided to show them the location. If walkers were still accumulating there she would have the advantage of their help to clear them out. Morgan decided to check on those seeds that Roxanne had mentioned and Lucky had taken a double shift last night so he was sleeping in. Gene, Brandon, Cami and Roxanne followed the overgrown path to that section of the park, going over a small bridge that managed to survive neglect and through a small tunnel that appeared to be a bike trail at one time.

As they exited the tunnel Gene stopped and said, "Jesus, I didn't know this was back here."

"It appears to have been a zoo at one time," Roxanne said. "Perhaps a petting zoo. From what I can tell the mountain side is divided up into sections. I'm sure there are parts that I haven't discovered yet with the paths being so overgrown and the collapsed rides could be blocking our view of other storage areas. It's amazing how fast the mountain is taking its land back. Sorry Gene, no chickens in the coop" she smiled as she saw him checking some of the animal sheds. It was the first time they had seen a smile from her and it gave Brandon some hope that Roxanne was still able to relate to other people.

They continued thru the brush until they came to the broken concrete road that Roxanne had used to bring the car around. The road followed the fence at this point which was free of walkers. Mutt started to growl but they were already alerted to the moans up ahead and were taking up their steel poles in both hands in preparation.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 15****TH**** ENTRY**:

The walkers became agitated and aggressive when they spotted the group. Most were in bad condition and looked as if they hadn't eaten in a long time but there were approximately 20 of them and only 4 in the group. They were able to kill most of them thru the fence but had the same problem that Roxanne had earlier with the bushes. They tried several times to lure those to the gate where they would be able to pick the walkers off thru the fence but a few were stubborn and didn't move. "Maybe they're stuck on something," Cami said. "We will need to go outside the fence for those last 6."

Roxanne took the rawhide with the key off her neck and began to unlock the gate. "Is that the only key?" Gene asked.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told Lucky," Roxanne looked up at him, "You can take it off my dead body if you need to." She missed the looks that passed between the 3 behind her as she told Mutt to stay within the fence and not come out.

She hung the lock on the fence and pushed one side of the gate out and approached the nearest walker. She had learned that going for the head of a walker with her sharpened pole didn't always work if the walker made a sudden move so she had changed her tactics and began to stab them in the chest throwing them to the ground and then using her pickaxe to crush the skull. She used this method and then pole stabbed the next walker, pushed him into another walker to knock them both down at once then axed both. This was the first time they had seen Roxanne in the action of killing a walker other than behind a fence. Realizing that they were staring they suddenly jumped into action to help her.

Brandon took out the water bottle and passed it around while they were walking up the road toward her car. The deterioration of the road was quickly turning it into just a lane. Part of it had eroded from rain water rushing down the mountain and was just loose gravel. Part of it was still concrete, but also patches of mud and saplings breaking through the ground.

"You said you never checked the rest of the road to see if it was clear," Brandon said, "Do you know where it goes?"

"I think it is the road I was coming in on but I ran out of gas 10 miles out and cut thru the woods," she answered. "There were a few houses along the way but I didn't check any of them. I never saw any walkers on that last stretch. I don't know where they are coming from."

They rounded a curve and Roxanne saw the car was still there under the tarp and dried brush she had covered it with. "Nice camouflage but wouldn't work since everything else is so green this time of year," Brandon said. They uncovered the car then Roxanne got in to retrieve the key from the ashtray and managed to start it on the 2nd try. "I can understand you parking it out here when you were at the park alone, afraid of being taken by hostiles, but I prefer that we park it inside the gate" Brandon continued. "We can't protect it out here, Roxanne. If you were on this road then others could come in this way too. Even inside the gate it's still a long run from the Admin buildings to this end of the park and would be even harder to get to if the car was surrounded by walkers. Would you agree to that Roxanne?"

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 16****TH**** ENTRY****: **

They drove the car back into the park area but Roxanne made sure she turned it around to face outward for a quick exit if necessary. Cami got out of the car and looked at the walkers they had just killed. "I'm not dragging 20 damn bodies away from the fence. We're far enough away from the Admin buildings that we shouldn't smell them. They can rot there for all I care," she said.

"Roxanne, I don't want you to think that we are naïve," Gene said as they walked back using the road this time and not cutting through the Zoo section of the park. Gene wanted Roxanne to show him how she had brought the car thru the park to the back entrance where she now had it parked. As they walked back he decided to question her on some of her fears and see if he could penetrate that cold shell of hers. "We have run into some small bands that would kill to steal your supplies rather than join us as a group. But we're talking 8 to 10 people and we can handle that. We have lost some along the way but what you see standing before you is the best of what's left. We're not alive because we were the weakest and ran, we're alive because we fought them off. That barrier you have us building is more like you had an army in mind."

Roxanne shook her head, "I was thinking more of a herd."

"A herd?" Cami questioned, "I don't know what you mean by a herd, unless you're talking about the number of walkers in a city. That I've seen and I guess you could call it a herd because of the massive amount of walkers. But we're in the country Roxanne, and should be safe from a herd out here."

Roxanne stopped and turned to look at them. Mutt, who had been running ahead of them turned and came back to her side. "We don't know anything ABOUT these things that we call 'Walkers'. We don't know how long they live or how long we will need to protect ourselves against them. We know they are attracted to noise but have you noticed that one will change direction and the rest will follow? Is it because that walker is a leader, or is it just the blind following the blind? Freshly turned seem to be the strongest and there will always be 'freshly turned'. What happens when they run out of food in the cities? Will they migrate or will they just stand there until they crumble? I see a sea of walkers coming at us one day."

Everyone was silent until she turned away and they all started to walk with her again. "It sounds like you're losing hope Roxanne," Gene said gently, "I chose to think that the world will be normal again. Maybe not in our lifetime because there is so much to rebuild but the technology is still there, the knowledge is still there. I like to think that we still have a government hidden somewhere with scientists working on a vaccine against walker bites. Maybe not a reason yet on why we turn after we die, but a vaccine if you're bitten is possible. Until then I will keep fighting to stay alive and I know you haven't given up because you're still fighting too."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 17****TH**** ENTRY**:

As they approached the rear of the buildings Roxanne stopped once more and turned to them. "Another thing," she said softly since sound seemed to travel in these hillsides. "Ed has another car ready. He does not know of the back gate. You have your own cars so I thought to just let him have his little secret but the back gate is another issue. If we are in harm's way or attacked, Ed will run. He will leave us here to our own defenses and drive for that back gate. If he knows where the key is he will open the gate and just keep driving. With the gates open we could be overrun by a herd of walkers or a gang of hostile people and be ambushed from behind. Ed is devious and thinks of his own skin. He is loyal to no one."

"That may be difficult to do, Roxanne", Brandon answered. "We would always need to watch what we say around him or watch our activities if we go to that portion of the park. Wouldn't it be better to just deal with him now and get our point across? I think the three of us," he motioned to Gene and Cami behind him, "would be able to get our point across if we approach him right." Brandon finished his last remark with a smile that Roxanne did not misinterpret.

She sighed and continued to walk the last distance toward the admin buildings, "If you want to handle it fine. I'm through dealing with him. We kept him because he is good with mechanics and welding and he has improved the living conditions here. I'm just passing on the information that he cannot be trusted and will abandon you at a critical point when you are counting on him. He doesn't have your back."

They continued the remaining walk in silence but Brandon still wasn't comfortable with the arrangements of the car and gate in the back lot. He told Cami and Gene of what he was thinking and with their approval he went looking for Lucky. He found Lucky pumping water from the well outside Roxanne's cabin. It was the only working well on the property and construction had actually accessed an underground spring to complete the authenticity of the cabin. Although Ed had managed to get a couple of generators started they did not use them for showers since they had not had time to investigate the fuel tanks on the property.

"Morning, Lucky. Sorry you had to pull that double-shift last night," Brandon said.

"No problem," Lucky said as he pulled the water bucket from the well and filled a container. "I heard Roxanne was taking you to the back gate and showing you how your cars would access the exit. Did she show you where she stashed the backup car?" he asked.

"Yeah, we moved the car inside the gate, covered it with the tarp and Roxanne put the key in the ash tray. She was OK with that. But there's still the matter of the key to the gate Lucky, and we feel that we have pushed Roxanne enough for today. She…." Brandon hesitated, "She is still somewhat of a mystery to us." Lucky started to laugh and set the bucket down. "She's been very forthcoming with us today" Brandon continued, " showing us the hidden path thru the zoo, where the car was hidden and letting us move it back in, then taking us to the service road that goes behind the buildings," Brandon said. "She even told us that Ed has a car stashed in his facility."

On that last remark Lucky raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms while he sat on the well, "Oh, did she?"

Brandon nodded then continued, "But there is still the matter of the gate key around her neck. I approached her on it but she said something about taking it off her dead body."

"Yeah," Lucky got up and connected the bucket to the rope and started to lower it into the well again, "I heard the same thing from her. Sometimes I think she was around…." he paused almost saying that Roxanne had been around Ed too long but he was sure that Roxanne had not mentioned that relationship to Brandon. "I think she was around some devious people too long and picked up some of their habits. She is very distrustful but she's a good person. We are all casualties of the ZA but sometimes I see a very gentle person hidden in there, if just briefly."

Brandon nodded his head in agreement, his eyes wandering off into the distance as if he was remembering how things were with him once. "You appear to be closer to her than anyone else so far, Lucky," he continued. "Do you think you could approach her about putting the gate key in the ashtray of the car so it is accessible to everyone? We understand that this isn't to be mentioned to Ed, although if it becomes burdensome Roxanne said we could approach Ed in our own way."

"Wow," Lucky said when he realized that Roxanne had basically given the new group her permission to beat the crap out of Ed. "She has been full of surprises today. I'll see what I can do Brandon."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO ****– 18****TH**** ENTRY**:

The next morning Caleb said that he would like to get in some practice with his crossbow and asked if the others would let him kill the walkers at the fence. Morgan, Cami and Roxanne went with him to see how many walkers had gathered at the fence during the night. Roxanne was relieved to see that it was only five since the increase of walkers had started to concern her. Morgan said they would wait while Caleb handled those 5 but Caleb objected to their presence saying that he wasn't in any danger on this side of the fence.

"We still need to go outside the fence to retrieve your arrows if you miss any walkers," Morgan said. "You only have 7 arrows left Caleb and I'm not letting you go outside the fence by yourself."

Roxanne could see that Caleb was nervous so she spoke up hoping that she wasn't interfering with a father/son relationship. "Tell you what" she said, "I've always wanted to see a crossbow in action so why don't you and Cami go back and I'll stay with Caleb. I'll make sure the coast is clear before we go outside the fence. Is that agreeable to everyone?"

Morgan nodded his head, "That's OK with me. Caleb is that comfortable with you?" They could see a struggle within Caleb but he finally agreed. They didn't know that Caleb was afraid of Roxanne and that she made him nervous. She was pretty like one of his nicest teachers in school but Roxanne's mannerisms were completely different from that person. Roxanne was aloof, distracted and always seemed to be hearing something that no one else did, as if she was always on guard or knew what was going to happen. It freaked him out and he knew he would be disastrous at hitting anything.

After the others left Roxanne sat on a bench that Cami used to stand on when she killed walkers. Cami said it gave her an advantage to be looking down on them. Caleb took his stance, let out his breath and tried to calm himself, but the shot went wild when the walker moved. His second shot hit the fence and bounced off. If he didn't get the next 5 shots then Roxanne would need to kill the walkers with her stake. He heard her softly call to him and reluctantly turned around.

"Caleb, come here and sit beside me for a minute" she asked while patting the bench.

'Shit,' he thought, 'another adult lecture. You can do it, blah, blah, blah.' He plopped down on the bench as if he had just been told that he couldn't have his PlayStation that night.

Roxanne rested her elbows on her knees and looked off into the distance. "Do you know why I sent the others off?" He shook his head glad that she wasn't looking him in the eye. "There were so many times I would go into a hardware store or sports store while scavenging and see a crossbow. All I had was a pickaxe which meant I needed to get up close and personal to kill a walker. I was so scared, Caleb." This startled Caleb to hear. He became very still and stopped fidgeting. He couldn't believe that Roxanne had ever been afraid.

"I would see those crossbows but never took one because I didn't know how to use it. I starved so many times because I couldn't get close enough to kill a rabbit or squirrel with a pickax and I could see wildlife all around me yet I was useless." She finally looked over at him but still didn't straighten up. "I wanted to stay behind with you because I'd like for you to teach me how to use a crossbow. I don't ever want to be that hungry again."

"But this is a Junior Crossbow," Caleb said, "and I'd been taking classes for a year before…..before" he let the sentence trail off. "I was good too and it was the first thing I grabbed when we had to evacuate. But I found shooting a moving target was completely different especially when the target wants to kill you. I know you need to shoot them in the head to kill them but when they're coming at you I…..I guess I panic and either I miss or I hit them in the chest. Dad says to stop beating myself up because I'm only 12."

Roxanne straightened up and looked at the walkers still at the fence, "You're not 12, you're more like 14." She looked back at Caleb, "because a 12 year old would not go out into the night with the threat of walkers to bring back a rabbit."

Caleb went red all over and felt his heart drop. "You saw that?"

She nodded. "You teach me to use the crossbow and I won't tell your father but only this once Caleb. If I see you out there again the deal is off. I won't be taken advantage of Caleb. During training I'm your pupil but I won't cover for you like a kid who has slipped out on his parents and wants to use me as an alibi. Do we understand each other?"

He nodded, "Yes. Is the training a secret?" Roxanne smiled. It was the first time he had seen her smile. She was becoming more human to him after their talk and he found he was more comfortable around her now.

"No, Caleb the training isn't a secret. I don't care how many people know even if I suck at it. What if we set up some targets, maybe paint something on the side of my cabin and meet for an hour after dinner every night?" The thought excited Caleb. "OK, then let's see what you can do with the last five walkers and then we'll retrieve the 2 you already used. They'll be wondering about us soon."

END OF CHAPTER TWO


	3. CHAPTER THREE

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 1****ST**** ENTRY**:

KC stood at a distance watching Sally wash her hair. Sally had put a wooden bucket that may have been designed to churn butter next to the well. She filled it with water from the well, washed her hair and was now pouring more water over it to rinse out the soap.

KC had a pair of scissors in her hand and was tapping them against her thigh while she watched Sally. This was a big step for KC but she knew it was the right thing. Sally had been cutting hair for most of the group except for Lucky and Brandon who both wanted to keep their long hair tied back. Roxanne had her black hair cut into a short Egyptian style just below the chin with bangs. Later Roxanne said that she regretted the bangs because they made her face sweat so she had begun to wear a piece of rawhide around her head. Now she looked more like a native Indian and this was what KC wanted. She was smitten with Lucky but knew that Roxanne was her competition. KC knew she could fight walkers as well as Roxanne and felt she was just as pretty so why didn't Lucky notice her. She couldn't talk to Lucky, didn't know how to approach him so that he would take an interest in her. She decided to clean up a little and look more like a woman than a teenager who had been trapped in K-mart and afraid to move.

Once Sally began to dry her hair KC came out of the bushes and approached her. She held the scissors out and said just one word, "Cut".

Sally was startled. KC seldom said anything and if necessary it would be one or two words, but she had never let anyone touch her wild hair, nor had she bathed since they met her. Sally was delighted and said, "Well why don't we wash it first since it will be easier for me to cut it into a style. Have you decided what style you want? How short?"

KC nodded, "Roxanne" was the only word she spoke.

"Oh", Sally smiled "Are we looking to catch us a boyfriend" she teased.

"YOU SHUT UP!" KC yelled, her body stiffening. With the scissors still in her hand she took a menacing step toward Sally. Sally gasped at the unexpected anger and took a step backwards, her hand going to her throat.

"KC what's gotten into you? I was only joking." They stared in silence at one another, Sally feeling threatened by this girl who they knew very little about and KC hesitant about her decision to have approached Sally for help. Finally KC put the scissors on the well, turned her back on Sally to sit down on the bench and said, "Cut".

Sally quickly picked up the scissors to get them out of KC's reach and said, "I'll do the best I can KC, but you do understand that it won't look exactly like Roxanne's because her hair is straight and yours is frizzy." KC did not answer and with a shaking hand Sally reached out to touch KC on her shoulder, "Do you understand KC?" but she received the same answer of "Cut".

Sally decided that she was going to have Gene put something up against their door at night. When she told him what happened at the well Gene said, "I always thought she was bat-shit crazy."

"I thought she was traumatized by being left alone and we don't know how long she was in that K-Mart," Sally said. "I thought she would come around eventually. We don't know who she was with or how they treated her." She sighed, "Whatever it was it has left a permanent mark. Before this I was concerned for her, now I'm afraid OF her."

Gene put his arms around he wife, "Sweetheart, some people aren't given the time to heal when we face death every day in this nightmare we are forced to live in."

**ROXANNIE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 2****ND**** EN**TRY:

Lucky stopped and chuckled when he saw what Morgan was doing to Roxanne's cabin. "I hope you aren't using florescent paint," he said. "I don't want to get the fright of my life while making rounds tonight." Instead of painting a bulls-eye target for Caleb's crossbow practice Morgan had painted a thin outline of a man and next to that he had painted 2 heads.

Morgan stepped back to view his work and smiled. "Think they'll like it?"

Lucky walked up and shook his head, "I don't know why Roxanne wants to do this. I've seen her fight using a staff and using a knife. I haven't seen her shoot yet so maybe she's more comfortable with a weapon that doesn't kick back."

"I really don't care if her motives are self-serving, Lucky," Morgan said as he dabbed paint on the wall to represent an eye on the target. "I have seen a change in Caleb's confidence. He is so proud that I can see the ol' strut coming back." He laughed. "I didn't know how to help him Lucky," Morgan became serious. "We were always running, always looking for food and I could see his confidence ebbing each time he missed killing a walker and was forced to run instead. But there was always another threat and no time for more training. Now Roxanne has come up with this idea, well 2 ideas really, that include Caleb and it just…" his voice broke up and he had to compose himself, "it just fills my heart to see Caleb happy and excited about something normal again."

Lucky patted Morgan on the shoulder and said, "We may still need to bail them out in the mornings though. That was a pretty bold pitch she made to the council asking if she and Caleb could go to the fence-line alone in the mornings to kill walkers."

"Oh, did you see that as a request?" Morgan asked. "Sounded more like orders, telling us what she was going to do from now on. If I hadn't seen the pride in Caleb's face and the fact that Roxanne would send Mutt back for help if a problem occurred I'm not too sure I would have let him do it.

There were 2 walkers left and since Caleb had used all his arrows she decided to let him kill the last 2 with her staff. "I did better this time," Caleb said, "but 7 arrows just isn't enough. Wish we could make a run to a sports shop somewhere."

"All in due time Caleb, but you aren't through yet," Roxanne handed him her staff. "We need to get you trained in how to use other weapons. I can use the knife, staff, pickax and gun, and now I'm learning the crossbow." Caleb looked up at her in a confused state and took the staff, "you…..you want me to kill them?"

"Does the thought turn your stomach? Turns mine every time" Roxanne said. "They're horrible, horrible things but that's all they are, things. Don't think of them as people when you get closer, Caleb. Is that what's bothering you?"

Caleb nodded, "It's different when you're farther away."

"OK, I won't push you into anything you aren't ready for but I'll give you a few tips and then you can decide." She took the staff back and approached the walkers who became agitated with the desire to feed. "For your height you will need to hold the staff above your head and then lunge forward 1 step, but ONLY 1 step so if you lose your balance you won't fall into them. The other method we found which is effective is that you can kill them in the neck if you plunge the staff upward toward the back of their head. This would probably be the most effective for you. Do you want to just hold the staff and tell me which is more comfortable to you?"

Caleb tried both stances and found he had more strength if he stood sideways and plunged the staff upward. "Just lay the tip on the fence and let the walker come to you rather than chase him around through the links," Roxanne advised. Caleb did as she instructed and was able to kill a walker by plunging it through the neck. But as the walker dropped Caleb let go of the staff and stood there rubbing his hands against his jeans, unable to take his eyes off the walker.

Roxanne could see that Caleb was close to tears so she came over and pulled the staff out of the walker and back through the fence. She thought that Morgan would probably come after her if he found out that she had upset Caleb but she hadn't expected this reaction. "The first kill is always bad," she said and stabbed the last remaining walker in the head. Mutt came up and started licking Caleb's hand as if in sympathy. It also brought Caleb out of his trance and he started scratching Mutt behind the ears.

Roxanne touched Caleb on the shoulder and said they had better get back. The 2 of them walked in silence until she asked, "By the way, do you know how to drive a car?" Morgan heard the laughter from the trail long before he saw them come into view and was comforted by it.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 3****RD**** ENTRY**: 

Roxanne and Lucky sat on her porch which had become a habit between them at the end of their day. "What's up with Cami?" Roxanne asked. "She carries enough ammo to take out a small country and I was told that she is an excellent fighter, but all she does is walk the fence. I haven't seen her help with anything. Even when they were ransacking the other buildings for cots to create their living quarters I saw her sitting outside the doors with her rifle across her knees."

Lucky shrugged, "I don't know and I'm not going to interfere with anyone under Gene's control. Maybe they use her as a spotter. I've seen her come to lunch covered in cobwebs and dirt so I assume she is still exploring the park."

At that moment they heard a door slam, "Well then I wish she would find where that sound is coming from," Roxanne said. "Been driving me crazy since I got here." There was a pause as Roxanne rocked and Lucky leaned back to put his feet up on the railing. "I would like to go toward Pigeon Falls tomorrow and scavenge for some things" Roxanne continued. "Caleb only has 7 arrows and I'd like to find him a dirt bike."

Lucky was stunned for a moment and then started laughing, "A dirt bike? What on earth have you 2 been up to?"

KC watched them on the porch although she could not hear what was being said. She did hear Lucky laugh and that really got her goat. Lucky had noticed her at dinner and had complimented her on her new haircut. He actually smiled at her which gave her a strange sensation that she mistook for love and romance. But to her Roxanne was the enemy. She needed to get rid of Roxanne. KC watched her as often as she could to learn her habits, her faults or any oversights Roxanne might have. She didn't know how she would get rid of Roxanne, but with walkers around there could always be an accident. A walker could get inside the fence and be led to Roxanne's cabin late at night and no one would suspect anything.

At that moment she heard a twig snap behind her and quickly turned to see a man's silhouette standing in the darkness. Her hand immediately went to the knife on her belt. She backed up against the bushes to try to hide her presence.

"So that's what you want, huh KC? It's Lucky you're after." She recognized Ed's voice. "Well, no problem there. I can help you with that because a man understands another man better than a woman would." He took a step forward and the moonlight illuminated his face. "And I can tell you right now that Lucky is the kind of man who wants a woman, not a rookie teen."

KC, not liking the criticism, drew her knife and hissed at Ed. "Don't worry child," Ed continued. "I traveled with Lucky and we met many women along the way. So I know not only what he wants but how he likes it. Roxanne doesn't know that yet about Lucky so you can get a heads up on her. I can teach you, train you, advise you on how to get Lucky to fall into your open arms and he will never know that you trapped him. Heheh."

KC was silent and ED took that as a sign that he was getting through to the crazy bitch. "You think on it KC, just remember that each night Lucky spends on that porch with Roxanne that she is dragging him further in and pretty soon he will be out of your reach altogether. Just how much time do you have and how badly do you want him? When you decide, you know where I live." He turned and left as silently as he had appeared.

KC stood there looking down the path, then swung around when she heard Lucky laugh again. It infuriated her to see them together. Not being able to watch anymore she dropped to her knees in the dirt and began stabbing the earth with her knife, over and over again.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 4****TH**** ENTRY:**

The original plan had been for Lucky, Roxanne, Cami and Brandon to go to Pigeon Falls for ammo and supplies that the park did not provide. Brandon's air mattress had a hole in it and he needed a replacement but he would take a mattress from a home or one of the motels along the strip if all else failed. They wanted towels, shampoo, blankets and everyone needed more clothing since the few extra pieces they had with them were becoming threadbare. The women needed personal items and the men wanted to shave again so they divided the team into 2 men and 2 women each knowing what was needed for their gender. They had found the storeroom for the public restrooms so they had plenty of paper towels, toilet tissue and soap. Cami scoffed at the idea of finding female items saying, "It's all ammo and weapons I'm looking for, although I could use some more jeans."

They hooked up the trailer to the hitch on Brandon's SUV and filled it from the only gas pump on the premises. ED had managed to connect a generator enabling them to use the pump but had not been able to read the gauges to know how much gas they had left in supply. Since they were going to be gone overnight they left the SUV to get their sleeping bags and came back to find KC sitting in the backseat of the car.

"KC, what are you doing? It was decided who was going and your name wasn't mentioned," Brandon said. KC continued to stare straight ahead and did not answer. Brandon went around to her side of the car but she quickly locked the door before he could open it.

"KC, get out of the car RIGHT NOW!" he yelled pounding on the door but she only added to his yelling by saying "GOING!" Then she stabbed her finger toward the front of the car, "GOING, GOING, GOING!" Brandon sighed and stepped back unable to deal with a stubborn teenager.

"Let her go in your place Brandon," Cami suggested from the other side of the car. "She knows how to fight but I can't say that I'll be watching out for her." She paused, then banged on the window, "You hear that KC? I'm not going to watch out for you."

Brandon came around to Cami and objected to the idea, "But that leaves Lucky with 3 women." Cami put her hand on her gun and turned to face him, "I swear to God Brandon, if you continue to put me into the category of a helpless female I'm going to beat the living crap out of you."

Brandon thru his hands up in surrender and backed away, "OK, OK, if it's agreeable with Lucky then I wish you luck." They turned to look at Lucky for his approval. Lucky in turn looked at Cami and asked, "You can vouch for her ability to take care of herself?" Cami nodded, "I can."

KC unlocked the doors but before getting in the car Roxanne called Brandon back. She took the rawhide off her neck and handed him the key to the back gate. "Why don't you put this in the ashtray along with the key to the car back there?" Brandon took the key but covered her hand with his before she could pull away. "Thank you Roxanne" he smiled. "This means a lot to us." Roxanne blushed and pulled her hand away. As she got in the car she noticed that both Cami and Lucky were grinning. She studied both of them then said, "What? Are we going to sit here all day? Let's get a move on!"

Brandon turned to walk away but realized that Mutt wasn't following him. He looked back to see Mutt still standing in the same spot watching the car approach the tunnel where Ed had moved the bus. Brandon walked back and leaned over to scratch Mutt saying, "She'll be OK Mutt. Lucky will look after her." Mutt continued to stare as if he was thinking this over and then with a "woof" he turned and walked with Brandon.

READERS: I have taken some liberties here with the distance by making this an overnight trip because the map shows that Pigeon Forge is only 15 minutes away and Gatlinburg an additional 35 minutes. I found that I was taking so much time researching Tennessee, crossbows, dirt bikes, rivers, fishing, wildlife, etc. that writing was becoming a chore instead of a pleasure. I apologize to anyone living in Tennessee for my inaccuracies but decided that the story is a figment of my imagination anyway and I will stop the research in order to enjoy what I'm writing again.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 5****TH**** ENTRY:**

"I didn't approach the park from this road so I don't know what's around here," Roxanne said.

"The hard part will be ammo," Cami said. "By now most places will be thoroughly ransacked. Everyone is living on borrowed time now. The last man standing will be the man with the last bullet."

"I don't expect to find anything in the Sports Stores Roxanne", Lucky interjected. "I'm only going there because of the possibility of arrows and to get Brandon an air mattress. Maybe some sterno cans so Ed doesn't need to fire up the generators for Sally to cook on the stoves so often. Those generators are our prime asset and should be used carefully since we don't know how long the gas will last. We need to find more candles and kerosene for our lamps. We'll start with Pigeon Forge first since that's a small town and then see how close we can get to Gatlinburg before hitting heavy walker traffic or the roads are blocked. Anyone going south to get out of Tennessee from this area would have taken those roads."

The going was slow, especially because of the trailer that they were towing. Lucky not only had to maneuver the SUV around stalled traffic but had to manage the trailer thru too. They did not stop to inspect any of these cars for supplies nor did they stop at the houses they passed. If the search in the towns was futile then they would resort to searching as many houses and cars as they could on the way back.

They found a small shopping center that had a hardware store, sports shop and clothing store and thought it ideal to find all 3 stores in one place. They were able to get several air mattresses, sterno cans and Roxanne found both recurve and compound crossbows. Celeb said the compound was heavier and good in small places. The back room had some unopened cases of arrows and she was ecstatic about that. She also picked up several books on survival methods, medicinal herbs and more seeds from hardware. They took anything that could be used as a weapon including hoes and pitchforks. The hoes would be good for killing snakes. Cami was disgusted that nothing in the way of ammo was found.

KC did not get out of the car until they went to search the clothing store. They looked through the window first but everything standing in human form looked to be a mannequin. The door was locked leading them to believe that the place was clear of walkers. Lucky used a tire iron to pry the door open and once in they fanned out, each seeking what was on their list. Cami went directly to the boots, Lucky to men's shirts & jeans, Roxanne to ladies undergarments but KC went to cosmetics.

It was when they heard that familiar moan that they all turned to find the source. At that moment a walker tried to push thru the racks to reach KC, succeeding to get one arm and his head thru. She quickly drew her knife and with a yell of "Haa" stabbed him in the head, wiped her knife off on her pants and continued spinning the rack to select eye shadow. She hadn't moved an inch. Roxanne and Lucky looked at one another with raised eyebrows then turned to their own shopping.

Cami took some shopping bags from behind the counter and started filling them with jeans of all sizes, "We're going to need something to weigh these bags down in the trailer or they'll fly out." They heard KC grunting and turned to see her dragging a mannequin out the door to the truck.

"Well," Lucky said, "I think you have your answer to that problem."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 6****TH**** ENTRY:**

Cami was disgusted with every place they stopped and her attitude was quickly turning sour. "Looks like these places have been picked over Cami, and only trash is left," Roxanne said.

"Not just picked over once, but many times," Cami said. "Someone has hunkered down and is raiding these towns over and over again, probably going a little further out each time. We should be careful since they will consider this area as their home base. They've probably been at it from the start and will be getting desperate."

"Well, let's change our plans and go directly to Gatlinburg today instead of tomorrow," Lucky suggested. But the closer they got to the city, the heavier the pockets of walkers became. Lucky was able to drive through most of them but knew that for each walker he didn't run over that they would turn and follow the truck. Eventually the stragglers would gather and become a mob. As he reached a crest in the road and could see into Gatlinburg he came to a stop. In silence they all looked down to see that the city was heavily occupied by walkers. The streets were filled with them aimlessly wandering, the moans putting chills down their spines.

"I don't think this is a good idea" Lucky said. "We are outnumbered at least 15 to 1. Not worth losing anybody. Let's just turn around and hit some of the side streets out of town and start going from house to house. I think this must be what we are getting at the park, the overrun of stragglers. If this herd and those pockets of walkers we drove through all merge into one and come to the park, we could be in for some heavy fighting."

They had been cruising the backstreets while Cami and Lucky argued over whether the best ammo would be found in a redneck area or a rich neighborhood when Cami suddenly told Rick to stop. "Back up a minute. Think I saw something of interest." They were at a brick wall of a gated community but Lucky backed up so they could see through the fenced gate. "There!" Cami pointed, "See that NRA flag in front of that house? That's where we need to go."

"Doesn't feel right, Cami" Lucky said. "There's a chain and padlock on the gates. Could be the folks who you said had hunkered down. And if he lives where that flag is flying he could easily pick us off out here like a sniper." Against his better judgment Cami got out of the car and approached the gates. She continued to look around at the various houses spaced 2 acres apart from one another. When she got back in the car she told Lucky to keep driving further up the road. As they came to a small tree growing outside of the wall she said, "This looks right. Stop here."

"Lucky, you and I will use the tree to go over the wall," Cami suggested. "We should be opposite a house that will block the view of anyone in the NRA house. He won't see us come over the wall and we can use the 2nd house to get closer. From there we play it by ear and sight before we approach any closer, trying to stay under cover until we can look in the windows and assess the situation. But I want that house."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 7****TH**** ENTRY:**

Roxanne objected to the idea of Lucky and Cami going alone but no one knew if KC could drive and if either of them were injured Roxanne would need to drive them back to the park. She watched them climb over the fence but the waiting was intolerable so she turned to talk to KC. She put her arm across the back of the driver's seat and asked, "KC why haven't you gotten out with the rest of us to do a search? You only went into the department store with us and then you looked at cosmetics."

At first Roxanne thought that KC was stuttering in an attempt to get the words out to answer, but then she realized that KC was hissing at her. She quickly removed her arm from the driver's seat, "KC, what has gotten into you?" She had never seen this reaction out of KC. "Is it the walkers we saw on the road or in town? Has this trip made you nervous?" KC did not answer but the snake-like look in her eyes put a chill down Roxanne's spine.

Roxanne got out of the car and came around to KC's door and opened it. "Get out of the car. If anyone is hurt it will take both of us to help them back over the fence." She popped the trunk. "Get the bolt cutters out of the back." KC sat for a few moments, then got out to do as she was told.

Cami & Lucky were looking into a window of the NRA house to see that 2 men were dead in the living room. One was a walker but the other had been shot in the head. There was a shotgun and a rifle on the floor.

"If these 2 are the ones who hunkered down it looks like the isolation got to them" Lucky said. "The walker is shot in the chest, the dead guy in the head. An argument that got out of hand possibly."

"Or they decided to Opt Out" Cami said "And one of them is a bad shot. Why don't you go back to the car and let the girls know that everything is OK. I know they must be worried. Use the bolt cutters and drive through the gate up to the house. We can search this one while they search the house next door."

"Don't like that idea," Lucky said. "Why don't you go back to the car and I'll search this house?"

"Because you can get over the fence easier than I can."

"Well if you'd take some of that gear off you could move around a lot easier," Lucky indicated all the equipment strapped around Cami's waist and chest. She wore a gun on each hip, a rifle in her hand, a knife in her boot, an axe dangling from her waist and 2 bandoliers of bullets across her chest.

"Don't you be worrying about my equipment," she said. "Just go. I can handle this."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 8****TH**** ENTRY:**

Roxanne's heart jumped with joy when she saw Lucky come over the fence but that emotion was quickly followed by concern for Cami who did not appear. "It's OK," Lucky said. "Get back in the car. I'm going to drive back to the gate and use the bolt cutters so we can take the car into the community." KC smiled and handed Lucky the cutters. He took them and said, "Why, thank you KC for being so well prepared."

They got back into the truck with KC taking her seat behind Lucky. She had been staring at the back of his neck during the whole trip. She wondered what it would be like to touch his hair, his skin, to wrap her arms around him. She glanced over at Roxanne in the front seat and the hatred swelled to the point that she had to clinch her hands to make it go away. 'Soon,' KC was thinking. 'Soon, soon, soon.'

The 2 men had put such a massive lock on the chain that Lucky struggled for a long time to cut it. He got back in the car and wiped the sweat off his face while Roxanne handed him a bottle of water. "Jez, I hope these guys are as fortified inside as they were outside. But now I'm worried about Cami. They could have had some booby-traps."

Cami had already put a Ruger, revolver, a 16-gauge shotgun, a Winchester and a Remington on the front steps of the house by the time they pulled up. As they got out of the car Cami told KC to come in and help her while Lucky & Roxanne searched the house next door. But KC objected to this, grabbing Roxanne's arm and pulling her. "Go", KC said as she looked at Cami. She continued to pull Roxanne away with her, "Go".

Cami thought this over and said, "OK go with Roxanne then." But as they walked away she called out Roxanne's name, causing her to turn back. "Just watch your back" Cami said.

"What did you mean by that?" Lucky asked as they walked into the house. "About Roxanne watching her back. Don't you trust her skills at staying alive?"

Cami shook her head, "It is KC I don't trust. She's been spying on you and Roxanne when you sit on her porch at night. May not mean anything since I've seen her spying on Ed too through his window. Sally is scared of her. Said KC brandished a pair of scissors at her and hissed".

It gave Lucky a cold chill to hear that they had been spied on. He had momentarily forgotten that no one had privacy in a ZA.

Following usual procedure Roxanne tapped on the door window to see if anyone or anything responded. KC reached across her and punched the doorbell. To their surprise it rang, giving them both a start. KC grinned when Roxanne turned to look at her. "Must be wireless," Roxanne said. "Very good KC."

(READERS: I am probably now on HomeLand Security's list of suspicious characters since I know nothing about guns and went on-line to do some research. HA.)

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 9****TH**** ENTRY:**

"There could be booby-traps, Cami" Lucky said. "You haven't opened any doors have you?"

She shook her head, "No, I found those weapons that I put out on the steps in just the living room, dining room and kitchen. Haven't gone upstairs yet, nor the basement."

"Well, don't stand in front of a door when you open it. May be a shotgun tethered on the other side of the door." Cami came out of the bathroom with a Beretta in her hand. "Check the toilet tanks of the other bathrooms," she said waving the gun. "That's where I found this one. And there's ammo under the sink."

Roxanne was checking the living room of the house next door while KC went thru the kitchen. "If those guys were hunkered down for a long time, they probably already checked these houses," she yelled out to KC.

KC came out with lighters, matches, candles, paper towels and put them in a trash bag. Then she went toward the back of the house where there was an office and a door leading down to the basement. When she opened the door to the basement she immediately heard the soft moan of a walker. Shining her flashlight down the stairs she could see him down there, hardly able to stand due to lack of fresh food. She smiled. 'This is perfect' she thought. 'Walker bait'.

Roxanne was fixated with the cleanliness of the living room. It brought back so many memories of family life before the ZA. Nothing was out of order; the furniture had not been eaten by mice or rats, the curtains still retained an ironed look. She looked over at the mantle and saw a music box similar to one she once had. She walked over to pick it up and caught her image in the mirror above the fireplace. She was startled by the woman she saw there and reached up to touch her face. Long ago she had worn red streaks in her black hair, had exaggerated her eyes into the look of a sphinx, wore dark red lipstick and had a pale complexion. But all that was gone and this was a stranger looking at her. Her skin was still smooth but the complexion was darker from living outside for so long and had been kissed by the sun. But it was her eyes that gripped her. They were so haunted now and did not carry that sparkle of laughter that she once had. They were the eyes of someone who knew starvation, who had seen hell and hadn't found their way back again.

She shifted her focus from herself to movement reflected in the mirror and was horrified to see KC coming up behind her with a knife drawn above her head…

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 10****TH**** ENTRY:**

"KC?" quickly Roxanne turned and threw her staff up to block the blow. "KC, it's me, Roxanne". The room was filled with the sound of KC's knife hitting the steel of Roxanne's metal staff in 3 quick motions. Just as quickly Roxanne warded off KC's attempt to stab her. She began backing up to ward off the blows convinced that something had rattled KC and that she was in some sort of a trance. She kept calling out KC's name, not trying to hurt or overcome KC but to defend herself until KC stopped. But KC's only answer was to continue yelling "Haa" each time she swung at Roxanne. Then KC jumped and used one foot to send the staff flying across the room but Roxanne was able to catch KC's foot in midair to throw her to the floor. KC landed on her back and Roxanne immediately put a knee across her neck to hold her there but KC was still holding her knife and managed to slash Roxanne's arm before Roxanne's was able to get the knife away.

They stayed in that position, both breathing hard and staring into one another's eyes. Then Roxanne saw something change in KC's eyes. Some confusion and reality was starting to seep back into them. "You OK now?" Roxanne asked. KC could barely nod with Roxanne's knee across her neck. "You sure?" Again she nodded.

Roxanne got up and taking the knife with her she put it in the sack of supplies. "You'll get this when we get back to the Park. If we stop anywhere else you can stay in the truck so you won't be in any danger." She carried the satchel with her and went to retrieve her staff that had been thrown against a door off the living room.

As Roxanne reached the door KC pulled a hidden knife out of her boot and came at her again. Roxanne dropped the supplies and gave out a kick to knock KC off balance and used her staff to block another blow. She reached behind her to open the door with the intent of holding it closed between her and KC until KC calmed down. But as soon as she opened the door she heard the growl of a walker behind her. She knew she couldn't continue to use defense, not with a walker behind her and KC with a knife in front of her. This was no longer a matter of holding off KC this was now life or death.

She quickly spun around to stab the blade of her staff into the walker's neck and immediately withdrew it so the blunt end would hit KC in the stomach behind her. She stepped over the walker and turned as she entered the room. KC threw a lamp at her and kept coming. Roxanne could not close the door because the body of the walker was blocking it. She realized that it was KC's intent to kill her. Whether KC saw her as Roxanne or some monster, KC was still going to kill her. The fight became more vicious as KC used every household item she could grab to throw at Roxanne hitting her in the temple with an alarm clock and causing blood to flow into Roxanne's eyes. Roxanne managed to pierce KC's shoulder with her blade while avoiding a paperweight thrown at her. She pierced one of KC's legs but KC kept coming. She was like a robot, not feeling pain from the blows that Roxanne dealt her.

Roxanne did not want to do this again. She had killed only 1 human while on the road with Mutt. It had destroyed her mentally and emotionally and she had never been the same. She did not want to follow that road into hell again. KC picked up a bat that was on the floor and used it to keep Roxanne's staff from hitting her again, ignoring the blood flowing from the wounds Roxanne had inflicted on her. Roxanne could see that KC was very good in defense tactics and it appeared that she had some training before the ZA. She had tried several different kicks on Roxanne, some of them connecting.

"KC" Roxanne whispered, almost in tears. "I'm sorry I have to do this." Roxanne dropped her staff and stepped back as KC swung at her face with the knife. She grabbed KC's arm as it went past her face, twisted it up behind her back and wrapped her other arm around KC's throat. She tried getting the knife out of KC's hand while choking her but she underestimated KC. With one swift movement KC bent over and Roxanne went flying over KC's back to hit the floor. Roxanne quickly rolled over, pulling her knife out of its sheath at the same time and gave a blind upward shove of her knife as KC was leaning down to stab Roxanne.

The knife made contact with KC's midriff, doubling her over. Roxanne stood up and shoved KC's body backward into an upright position. Putting both her hands on the handle of her knife Roxanne whispered, "I'm sorry". Then she quickly yanked the knife up, cutting through KC's midriff into her breastbone. KC gave out a piercing scream and crumbled to the floor. Roxanne staggered backward until she hit the wall, blindly reaching out to find a chair and collapsed into it.

Movement in the doorway took her eyes away from the bloody mess before her to see that Lucky & Cami were standing there.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 11****TH**** ENTRY:**

"Jesus" Lucky whispered. Cami walked over to KC's body to remove the knife still embedded in her chest. She took out her pistol and shot KC in the head, immune to the splattering of brain matter on her jeans. "Damn you Cami," Lucky said. "Did you need to use your gun?"

Cami shrugged, "Body is too fresh to get a knife through it. Besides, I have the ammo now and I've been anxious to use it." She walked over and held the knife out to Roxanne who looked at it as if it were a snake. Realizing that perhaps she had been insensitive Cami wiped the knife off on her jeans then turned the blade around and held the knife back to Roxanne in her palm. This time Roxanne took it.

Lucky rushed to her side, "Let's get you out of this room" he said trying to help her up. Roxanne's legs were shaking but she managed to stand, "She tried to kill me. Just went nuts, completely nuts." He led her to the living room picking up her staff as they went and sat her down on the couch. Roxanne immediately took the staff as if it were a lost friend and held it to her. "I held her off for as long as I could." She looked around the once neat room to see small furniture turned over and broken items on the floor. She touched her bleeding forehead and said, "She got me good a couple of times."

Lucky retrieved his water bottle out of his backpack and tore a piece of the curtains off to clean the blood from Roxanne's face. "Were you bitten?" he asked. "What?" Roxanne was startled by the question. He nodded toward the walker on the floor, "your arm is bleeding too. Were you bitten?"

"Oh, no I wasn't bitten." Then she remembered and looked up at Cami who had dragged the walker's body out of the doorway and was closing the door. "Is this what you meant Cami? Did you know something was up with KC? You told me to watch my back."

Cami shook her head, "No, I just didn't trust her. Have never trusted her, but the Park is the first place we have been able to settle down for any length of time and I had the opportunity to observe her more. She's been watching you and Lucky, attempted to have her hair cut like yours and in the department store she was taking only cosmetics and clothing. I didn't know if she wanted to be like you or if she envied the attention of Lucky. A teenager with a crush can get crazy. Add a ZA situation on top of that craziness and you have KC trying to kill you."

Lucky tied the piece of curtain around Roxanne's head. "I don't think it will bleed for long. I'll put a patch on it when we get in the truck. I never saw any of this that you are saying, Cami. I never encouraged that girl. Let me tear your shirt to look at your arm Roxanne."

Roxanne looked at Lucky, "They will never trust me again at the Park. They will think that I'm dangerous. That I'm just as crazy as KC was. Ha, I probably even show signs of it." She started to giggle and Lucky was afraid that she would go into shock. "Stop that Roxanne. Here have some more water."

"We haven't much time, not after that shot was fired," Cami said. "And I want to finish searching the NRA house. We only have the basement left, but that shot could bring walkers and you left the gate open when you came through. Roxanne, could you have your breakdown after we get back in the truck and out of here?"

That angered Roxanne, "I'm not having a breakdown. I'm perfectly capable of searching a house." She looked at Lucky, "Hurry up with that bandage. Cami is right. The gate is open."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 12****TH**** ENTRY:**

They hadn't expected to find a steel door in the basement; a steel door with not only a security padlock, but a steel bar across it with an additional padlock on each end of the bar. "I don't think that's the wine cellar," Cami said. "Those bastards have more weapons behind that door. The security lock would have been deactivated when the electric went out that's why they had a backup plan with the steel bar and padlocks."

"I'll get the bolt cutter" Roxanne said and started back up the steps. Lucky shook his head, "Don't think that's going to work. Those are some big time padlocks and would take a flamethrower to open them. One lock uses a combination and the other uses a key meaning both of them would need to be together to open the door. They didn't trust one another. Come on, let's search the bodies upstairs."

As Lucky rummaged through the pockets of one body, Cami search through the pockets of the other. Roxanne stepped back into the open doorway and said that she needed to get some air. Lucky told her to be careful and pulled out the man's wallet. She suggested that she should watch the gate for walkers and left. But the first thing Roxanne did was walk around the corner of the house and vomit. The first wave of shaking had hit her in the house where they left KC, but this was the second wave and it was more intense. She did not want them to see her like this. She still had the bottle of water that Lucky had given her. She used it to rinse out her mouth, took a drink and then poured the rest on her face and neck.

"Ah-Ha, I found the combination in his wallet," Lucky said to Cami. "This sucker doesn't have a wallet," Cami said, "and nothing in his pockets. Wonder where he hid it. Don't want to search this whole house again."

"Look for a chain around his neck," Lucky offered remembering how Roxanne had hidden the key to the back gate in the same manner. Cami pulled a chain out from under his clothes and both of them exchanged smiles when they saw that it held a key. They both rushed to the basement, Lucky stopping in the doorway but did not see Roxanne in the yard or by the truck. He yelled out her name and she peeked from around the corner of the house. "We found the combination and key" he said.

"Then I'll definitely need to stay out here on look-out if both of you are going to the basement," she answered.

After unlocking and removing the steel beam Lucky was ready to put his body against the doorjamb thinking that it would take all his strength to open such a thick steel door. But it was amazing how smooth and quietly it opened, not requiring much strength at all when suddenly a light came on in the chamber. He and Cami jumped back and drew their guns not expecting a third person to be around. But there wasn't any sound, any shadow of movement within, no shell being thrown into a chamber and no sound of locked and loaded.

"Must be on a timer," Lucky said.

"But how?" I don't hear a generator," Cami asked.

Lucky shook his head, "Don't know but these guys were prepared and they must have set something up". He eased around the door so he could see the corners and if anyone was hidden there, his movement giving Cami a better view of the room. "Jackpot" he heard her say behind him. Their arms fell to their sides and their mouths fell open. Before them was every weapon imaginable. Submachine guns, grenades, AA-2 Combat Shotguns, semi-automatic 12 gauges, Glocks, Liberators, Lugers, 16-gauge shotguns, the list just went on and on. "We may need to make 2 trips with the trailer," Cami whispered unable to speak out loud before such magnificence.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 13****TH**** ENTRY:**

Roxanne realized she was standing at the door to the garage and out of curiosity she peered into the door window. What she saw there made her smile. She went back to the truck to get the tire iron when Lucky came out carrying an armload of guns. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Ammo?" Cami came out carrying more guns and answered, "Tons and tons. We need your help Roxanne."

"We need to leave room in the trailer for one more item," Roxanne said.

"What's more important than guns and ammo?" Cami asked.

"Nothing, but I'm not leaving without this. Come with me," Roxanne said. They followed her to the side of the house where she attempted to use the tire iron to open the door but Lucky noticed that her hands were still shaking so he took it from her and pried the door open. They walked in and Roxanne pointed, "There. I want that." They stood in silence. "You're joking, Roxanne" Lucky said.

"It's a Razor Dirt Bike that I want for Caleb. It isn't electric," Roxanne said. "We will put it on the trailer first and pack the guns and ammo around it. He's teaching me the crossbow. I owe him." Cami objected and began to look for another trailer in the garage that they could put the dirt bike on. But none of the cars in the garage had any gas so even if they had found a trailer they couldn't tow it. They threw KC's mannequin out of the trailer but after loading the dirt bike on they were only able to load half the ammo because the wheels started to flatten down. Cami put as many of the guns as she could in the back seat with her so she could admire them. They put the bar and padlocks back on the vault door with Cami keeping the key and Lucky keeping the combination. They would come back with Brandon or Gene at some later time for the rest.

They were half way back to the park when Lucky realized that a word had not been spoken by anyone. He looked over at Roxanne who had her head back and her hands resting on her legs. He was glad to see that her hands were no longer shaking but he was worried about her. He took a chance and reached to put his hand over hers, expecting her to shove him away. Instead she closed her hand to take his in hers and held it. He noticed how cold her hand was and wondered if her sugar-level had dropped.

"How much did you 2 see?" Roxanne lifted her head and looked at both of them. After a long pause Cami said, "There was a walker down in the basement of that house, did you know that Roxanne? I think KC was going to kill you and then throw your body down the stairs so the walker could feed on you. Then give us the story that you fell. No reason why we should question it, but there's no mistaking the sound of contact with a metal staff. We could hear it next door and knew someone was in trouble. It stopped at one time which threw us off, but picked back up again."

"Yes," Roxanne put her head back again and closed her eyes. "I had her pinned at one time but her eyes cleared and I thought her senses were back. My mistake."

"That arm is going to need about 10 stitches," Lucky said. "We should all learn how to stitch up a wound from Sally," he hoped to change the subject.

"But what are we going to tell them?" Roxanne asked, looking at them again. "I don't want them to be afraid of me; don't want Caleb to think that I am dangerous."

"KC didn't make it. That's all we need to say," Cami suggested. "Most people know by now that when you say someone didn't make it, that a walker got them."

"I'm not good at lies, Cami" Lucky said. "Never have been."

"No lie, Lucky. KC didn't make it. No lie at all" Cami answered.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 14****TH**** ENTRY:**

They were pulling up to the bus at the front gate when Roxanne said, "I wish we had found some chocolate." Morgan was standing on the tunnel when he heard the laughter in the truck and assumed that everything went OK. He went down the ladder to move the bus back and waved at them when he got in the driver's seat. The trailer was covered in a tarp and was standing so high that he couldn't begin to guess what they had brought back. Mutt started barking and chasing the truck when he spotted Roxanne so she asked Lucky to let her out and to go ahead to the compound without her.

Roxanne walked away from the truck and fell to her knees in front of Mutt who covered her with licks and head butts, barking as if to say, "Don't you EVER leave me again." She tried to wrap her arms around him but he wiggled too much, his tail wagging so hard it threw him off balance. Roxanne was glad that Mutt was licking her face so Morgan could not see the tears as he approached. He stopped before the scene of their reunion and said, "Two bandages. I take it things did not go well?"

Roxanne shook her head. "No, we lost KC."

"Lost her?"

"She didn't make it" Roxanne said as she got off her knees and wiped her face with her sleeve.

"I have something for Caleb. Come on. I want to see his face when he sees it." As they walked together Morgan asked, "How bad is the arm? Looks like you're still bleeding."

"I'll need to see Sally for stitches and I should probably learn how to do that. How was everything here?"

Gene opened the steel doors that they had constructed for their inner compound at their living quarters and Roxanne could see that they were unloading the back of the truck but hadn't taken the tarp off the trailer yet. By the look on everyone's face she could tell that they had heard the news about KC but then Ed broke the silence by saying, "What in the hell do you have on the trailer? The tires look like they wouldn't have lasted much longer from the weight."

Roxanne smiled and walked up to the trailer, "Caleb if you will do me the honor of untying that end of the tarp, I'll untie this end and we can flip it back." Everyone stood around in anticipation and gave mixed reactions when they pulled the tarp back to reveal the Razor dirt bike. Caleb gasped, Sally was confused, Ed said, "What the hell?" and Gene started laughing.

"Is it mine, is it mine?" Caleb asked. "Yes, it's yours but I will need to get stitched up first and won't be available for a couple of days, so maybe someone else can teach you how to drive it." Roxanne turned to Sally, "Could you get your first aid kit Sally and I'll meet you in the lounge. Oh, and bring a can of peaches with you. I think my sugar level is hitting rock bottom."

"Damn! Maybe I should have asked you to bring a bottle of rum" Roxanne said as Sally started putting in the stitches.

"And I have nothing for the pain," Sally said. "Maybe the next run could be to a hospital for syringes, pain killers and anti-biotic. All I have is aspirin. Here," she handed Roxanne a cold pack. "You just snap this package and it will act as a cold pack. If it gets really bad during the night you can use that."

Sally finished dressing the wound and said that she would get Lucky to help Roxanne back to her cabin. It had not been a pleasant procedure since Roxanne needed 10 stitches and was now in a cold sweat and shaking like a leaf. "One question Roxanne. Are we in danger here?" Sally asked.

Roxanne shook her head, "No, why do you ask?"

"Because this is a knife wound and no walker did that. What happened out there, Roxanne?"

"Our only danger is from walkers," Roxanne ignored the question. "There are plenty swarming out there, gathering. We couldn't get into Gatlinburg because of them."

At that moment Lucky walked in and said, "I understand that I am needed here."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 15****TH**** ENTRY:**

Roxanne developed a fever and experienced cold chills during the night. "I don't understand it," Sally said as she and Lucky stood on the cabin porch the next day. "The wound is not infected. I checked for scratches and the ones she has are from working around the park, all healed and healthy. I even checked for ticks. You didn't drink anything other than your bottled water, did you?"

Lucky shook his head, "No, only what we bought with us. Didn't eat anything that we found either. The pickings were pretty slim on that. We have more here at the Park than we found elsewhere because the 2 dead guys who had hunkered down had cleaned out the neighboring towns. We will need to go in a different direction next time. Gatlinburg is definitely out."

Sally sighed, "There is so little we know about this walker disease that I worry when anyone gets sick, especially with a fever. How do we know that the knife wound didn't transfer something to her if it had previously been used to kill a walker?" She shook her head, "still the wound looks good so I won't start imagining things. I'll go open up a can of soup; you just make sure she doesn't throw the cold compress off."

Mutt had not left the cabin except to do his doggie business and then return to sit on the floor by Roxanne's bed. He would only take water and Lucky hadn't been able to get him to eat. He made a mental note to stop at a Pet Store if they saw one on their next run and get some doggie bones.

Roxanne was sitting up holding the wet compress to her forehead, "What were you 2 talking about out there?"

"Sally has a point," Lucky said as he sat down on the bed. "We were so desperate for guns & ammo that no one thought of a drug store for simple medical necessities. I know when I was on the road alone I only went into a drug store looking for food and water. The First Aid Station here only has the basics: iodine, gauze, and aspirin. She brought it to my attention that we have been neglectful," he smiled.

"You're not making a run just for me are you? It's just a simple cold. The worst was during the night. I'll be fine." Mutt jumped on the bed and lay down beside her, glad to hear her voice again.

"I suggested that she make a list but she insists on going next time we make a run. No reason why she shouldn't. She knows how to survive." Lucky paused then said, "She brought up the subject of the knife wound a couple of times. I think she's fishing for answers. I don't like being evasive except when my life depends on it and then I can talk my way out of most tense situations. But this is deceiving our friends, people we count on and who count on us."

Roxanne looked away, her mind not wanting to go there. She secretly knew that the fever and chills were a reaction to what had happened with KC. It had happened to her the first time she had killed a human, it just hadn't lasted as long. She was puzzled since she had convinced herself after that first reaction that it would get easier if she was forced to kill again. Perhaps she wasn't hardened enough yet, she told herself. After all, it wasn't that long ago that she had been living a simple life. God how she hated this life that she was living now.

She looked back at him, "I don't want you to do something that you are uncomfortable with. Work it out with Cami; better yet, just tell Cami that you are going to tell the group how KC died. I just don't care to talk about it and I don't know how I will explain it to Caleb. He's a kid. He'll have questions. Maybe Morgan can explain it to him sufficiently. Now, if you don't mind I think I'll lie back down again."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 16****TH**** ENTRY:**

After Sally arrived with the soup Lucky went looking for Cami and found her pacing on top of the tunnel with her newly found submachine gun. He climbed the ladder and saw that she had added the bazooka and a small box of grenades at her feet. He looked up from the box and said, "What the hell do you plan on using these for?" Cami smiled back, "Never can tell."

"Well, just don't take out the bus too if you use them."

He told her of his plans to inform the group of what had happened to KC. Cami shook her head and said, "I don't think they can handle it. You saw how Roxanne plunged that knife into KC's midriff and then yanked it up into her breastbone piercing her heart. Jesus, seen a lot of things in my life, but that was vicious. Didn't know Roxanne had it in her, not like that anyway. Got a new perspective on Roxanne. I'll partner with her any day."

Lucky turned away and looked out over the mountain side. "Scared you too, didn't it?" Cami continued. "I wouldn't worry about it Lucky. We all do what is necessary to survive. I was just surprised by…her methods."

Lucky turned back to face Cami and put his hands in his pockets, "Don't you believe her? That KC attacked first?"

"Well of course I do," Cami shrugged her shoulders. "There was enough damage in that room to see that Roxanne was trying to hold her off and defend herself. Otherwise Roxanne would have taken KC out long before that, now that we've seen what she can do. And Roxanne didn't have motive. KC did. KC wanted you and in her crazy mind that meant getting rid of Roxanne. Are you going to tell them that too? Be a little embarrassing won't it?"

"I'll just tell them that KC had been acting strange the whole trip, which is the truth. That we don't know what happened in that house and Roxanne doesn't care to talk about it. But we are 100% sure that Roxanne was defending herself until forced to kill KC. I'll ask Morgan to exclude Caleb from the meeting. You can add anything you like but I hope you'll be behind me on this and join in if I get stuck."

"Don't think you should do that, exclude Caleb from the meeting," Cami said. "He will have questions and its best we answer them than Morgan trying to fill in for us. Maybe give Morgan a heads-up first and let him decide, but I know that Roxanne isn't up to answering questions by an inquisitive teenager."

Lucky nodded in agreement and descended the ladder. Cami shook her head and turned away, 'Damn fools trying to be a family in a ZA,' she thought. 'No such thing as a family anymore. The quicker you realize that the better off you are.'

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER THREE – 17TH ENTRY:

"I figured as much," Sally was the first to respond to the news. "I wasn't getting any answers for that knife wound. I don't like being played the fool."

"No one was trying to play you Sally," Lucky answered. "We were still grappling with it ourselves. It was…..it was…" Lucky signed and looked down at the floor. "It was unexpected that KC was that far gone." He looked up again and saw everyone's eyes on him, wishing that Cami would jump in. "It took both of us by surprise, probably less of a surprise to Cami since she saw KC spying on people."

"I caught her spying on me a couple of times," Ed said nervously. "Maybe I was gonna be her next victim. Damn. I told Roxanne the first day ya'll arrived that it was a bad idea letting you in. Bringing in crazies with you. No more. No more people and that's it. Not gonna be looking over my back every time I go to bed."

"She scared the hell out of me when I was washing her hair," Sally said. "I guess she just snapped. Did she say anything to Roxanne at all? Anything to give us a clue as to what pushed her over?"

"No, nothing", Lucky answered. "Roxanne said that KC appeared to be in a trance. She managed to overpowered KC once and pinned her down. Thought KC's eyes had focused again, had come back to reality so she let KC go, only to be attacked more viciously. You saw Roxanne's condition. I'm sure she had no other choice, in fact I'm 100% sure she didn't."

"But you didn't bring KC back for us to bury," Caleb said. "You left her there? KC saved my life once when my arrow missed and I couldn't reload fast enough. I would have owed her that." Lucky hated to see the look in Caleb's eyes that they would leave anyone behind to rot or become walker food.

"We buried her at the house," Cami said which was a lie. "While Roxanne was laying down in the truck. I don't think she remembers half of it. She was in a pretty bad mental state. Personally, I think that's why she's sick now, trying to deal with it."

"Yes," Sally pondered, "that could very well be. I've seen this reaction before. I wish you had told me before and I would have known what was happening."

Morgan put his hand on Caleb's shoulder, "Are you going to be OK with this Caleb? Best not to approach Roxanne with any questions. If she wants to talk about it let her come to you first."

Caleb nodded, "I just want Roxanne to get well. If it makes her sick to talk about it then I won't bring it up. Promise."

"I don't think Roxanne should go on the next run," Lucky said.

"And I don't think Roxanne would want us to baby her," Cami retorted.

Gene stood up to indicate that the meeting was over. "The next run will be to a drug store or clinic. Sally and I will be together plus we'll take Brandon and Cami. That will leave you," he nodded at Lucky, "Roxanne, Ed and Morgan to hold down the fort. No reason to even suggest to Roxanne that she should come." He put his hands on his hips and said, "Are we good with this? Anyone have more questions for Lucky or Cami?"

They all began to disperse when Sally said, "Well at least I won't need to struggle to move the 2-drawer file cabinet away from my door in the morning." She meant it to be funny, but no one laughed.

**END OF CHAPTER THREE**


	4. Chapter 4

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FOUR – 1****ST**** ENTRY:**

Roxanne was fully recovered by the next day and attempted to go about her duties but Sally objected. "I don't want you using that arm and breaking your stitches" Sally said. "Wait until we make a run for more medical supplies. I don't want you practicing with the crossbow or using your staff at the fence line."

But the walkers weren't at the fence line that morning; they were at the front tunnel where the bus was parked. The group gathered on top of the tunnel to assess the situation, all except for ED. When ED heard of the walkers gathering he was last seen running to his maintenance bay.

"Now, this is a different situation," Cami said as they looked down on 100 walkers. "Must have followed the truck back. Small group here and there and now they make up a large herd as they gathered along the road."

"I wouldn't suggest that we go down the embankment to the fence and start stabbing them through the links," Lucky advised. "With the slope of that embankment we could slide right into them at the fence line. And there's no way to back up quickly if one should grab our leg."

"I don't like the idea of wasting ammo on a herd that large," Gene said, "especially since we don't know how many are coming or if this is the bulk of it. But we can't let them continue to push against the fence like that. It was designed to guide people to the entrance, not to hold back a riot."

"I'll get the bazooka," Cami said.

"No, Cami, no bazooka."

"OK, then I'll get the rocket launcher," she said.

"No, Cami stop it now," Gene said. "Get the grenades. We'll launch a few into the thickest part of the herd and that should kill most of them. It'll also tear many of them apart and we can stab them in the head as they lay on the ground. But try not to blow up the fence or the bus."

When Cami and Morgan returned with the grenades Morgan announced, "The bay is open and ED's car is gone."

"The bastard has run," Cami added as she handed out grenades. Lucky and Roxanne looked at one another but it was not the time for discussion.

They took turns lobbing grenades at Gene's direction not wanting to waste any of the ammo. Because of the tight group the walkers had gathered into it didn't take many tosses to blow them apart. The hardest part was getting them away from the fence so they wouldn't blow that up too. What they didn't expect was the smell of rotting flesh and bloated bodies being blown apart and splattering them. The wind captured the odor and carried it to them in a wave. They turned away and those who had kerchiefs quickly covered their nose.

"Jesus," Sally said turning her back on the odor. "Can their smell infect you? This is horrible."

"Caleb, go to the Admin Bldg. and shut all the windows," Morgan said but his real intent was to get Caleb way from the smell in case Sally was right.

Once the herd was down to a few stragglers they used their guns to kill the rest, then went down to go through the bus and enter the circle parking lot. They walked among the walkers and used their staff to kill any who were still moving. "We need to get the bodies out of here," Brandon said through his kerchief. "I'll get the trailer and we can haul them to the bottom of the hill. Maybe the smell will keep other walkers from coming up the driveway."

"Roxanne, I want you out of here," Sally shooed her away. "I don't want that wound to get infected."

"We're all getting out of here and not bringing in the trailer just yet," Gene said. "All that noise, another herd could be coming up the hill now. Let's give it an hour and see before we decide."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – FOURTH CHAPTER – 2****ND**** ENTRY:**

They waited 2 days before deciding to go on the medical supply run. In those 2 days they did not experience any additional walkers at the front entrance nor did Ed return. The walkers continued to gather at the fence portion that ED had cut, or at the back entrance.

"I tell you he ran like the coward that he is," Cami retorted "and left the back gate open. We were lucky that walkers weren't gathering there as well. At least he left the key in the lock."

Both Lucky and Roxanne were stunned by this move on Ed's part. He always came back and on that first day they expected him to arrive at any time. "You mean he's done this to you before?" Cami asked. Lucky explained the pattern that Ed had on the road while traveling with him; that he would circle until the coast was clear. No one was aware that Roxanne once traveled with Ed as his wife. The story they knew was that Roxanne was already at the park when Ed and Lucky arrived.

"I guess you were right, Roxanne," Gene said. "You told us that he was not loyal but after Brandon and I informed him that there was a back gate, we thought he understood that there would be a penalty if he messed with us."

"If he was alive he would have come back by now," Roxanne said. "I don't believe he would attempt to survive on his own and he's not good at planning ahead. He must be dead." But Lucky did not agree, convinced that Ed had ulterior motives for his action.

Morgan backed the bus up to let the truck through for their trip and waved them off. Gene was against separating Morgan and Caleb for these excursions and felt that family members should always stay together. Caleb had already lost his mother to cancer before the ZA and Gene did not want to be responsible if anything should happen to Morgan. Since the swarm had hit the front of the park they decided that a scout should always be on the tunnel. They found a bullhorn in the entertainment section of the park and would use it to alert everyone if necessary. Morgan, Caleb and Mutt would take the first lookout.

As they drove to the bottom of the hill everyone held their handkerchief over their nose when they approached the area where they had dumped the walker bodies. "Perhaps this is working after all," Sally said. "We haven't had any more walkers attempt to reach the front gate. Maybe they can't smell us from this direction. Maybe they're like elephants and know where to go to die. This would be their burial ground."

Gene looked in his rearview mirror, "Brandon what is it? Something has been bothering you for a couple of days now."

"I don't like it," Brandon said. "We're down to 8, now that KC and ED are gone. Why aren't more people coming to the park? Why haven't we seen more people on the road when we go scavenging? We used to run into groups all the time, small pockets of people or a couple traveling together, or even a lone individual on the road. Eight people are not going to hold off a hoard of walkers or sustain a stronghold for very long. We're spread too thin. We need more people."

"Hell, ED wasn't any good anyway," Cami said. "We have the firepower to hold off anything in my opinion. Just what is it that you're expecting, Brandon?"

Lucky was passing Roxanne's cabin when he heard a slight tapping from within. The front door was partially open so he called out to her. "Back here, Lucky. Come on back and give me your opinion." He walked to the doorway of Roxanne's bedroom and saw her standing on a small step stool of 3 steps, "What in the world are you doing, Roxanne?"

She was hanging sheer material around her bed and using thumbtacks to nail it up. She was almost completely done with just a small section in front of her still left open. She smiled at him. "I found the material in the theater. The nights are getting too hot to sleep with the bedroom window closed but the mosquitoes are eating me up at night. This will act as mosquito netting yet let in the breeze too. What do you think?"

She put in one more tack before she noticed the silence in the room. She turned to look at him, but his eyes did not meet hers. He was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed and his eyes were slowly traveling upward along her body. She had jeans and a man's white shirt on but his eyes told her that he was seeing something different. She suddenly had a mental image of lace panties back home in her dresser and was so surprised by her thoughts that she began to blush.

The silence in the room was becoming intense so she took a step down the ladder and teetered for a moment before regaining her balance. Lucky came over and put his hands on her waist. She had forgotten what a man's touch felt like, could feel her very skin beneath the shirt responding to it. Against her better judgment she reached up and let her fingertips touch his cheek and gently slide down to his jaw. He cupped his hand over hers, turned it and kissed the palm, never taking his eyes off her. She took another step down the ladder which put their bodies against one another but Lucky did not back off. Instead he slipped one hand under her shirt to touch the skin of her back and with his other hand he reached up to guide her head down into a deep kiss. She momentarily stiffened, but he gently held her there until her body responded. While still in that kiss he picked her up, turn with her in his arms and disappeared behind the curtain.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FOUR – 3****RD**** ENTRY:**

They lay together afterward but were unable to keep their hands off of each other, still exchanging those delicious kisses between them. "Do you think it would appear inappropriate to the others if I moved my gear in here?" Lucky asked.

"There's only one person's approval we need and that's Mutts."

Lucky started laughing, "That's right. I don't think Mutt will like the idea of shutting the bedroom door on him. He's very protective of you. I asked him once to tell me about you, but he wasn't giving out any information, "he caressed her arm and kissed her on the neck. "How the hell did you end up with ED?"

Roxanne stiffened. She hated it whenever anyone asked her about her past. "I'll say this once and then we'll never speak of it again. My parents were only able to have 1 child and they wanted that to be a boy. When I arrived they felt that I was a disappointment and continued throughout my childhood to tell me that I was useless to them. It's what I grew up with and believed because children always believe their parents. So when I met Ed it was the norm for me, I didn't know any other type of life, I thought that was the way things were supposed to be. It wasn't until after civilization fell that I learned otherwise. Now I realize that people who tell you that you are useless are trying to divert attention away from their own shortcomings and keep you focused on your own. I'm not the same person he met, never will be again."

At that moment Mutt's paws appeared on the bed and he stuck his head around the curtain. "Shit" Roxanne whispered and quickly threw the sheet over them, "Just be still Lucky," she cautioned. "Mutt, it's alright, boy. It's alright," she said in a soothing voice. Mutt looked from one to the other as if studying them, and then he jumped on the bed and began to lick Lucky's face.

Lucky laughed and hugged Mutt. "Well I guess that's one hurtle out of the way."

"And the other?" Roxanne asked.

"Hoping that our group gets back OK."

The group had found both a Farm Supply Store and a Drug Store within a short distance of each other and were glad to be on their way back. They had encountered some pockets of walkers, but were able to drive thru them. The Farm Store had been the most gruesome and difficult to get into since it had once housed animals around back. Those were all devoured now, but the walkers had lingered in the vicinity as it had once been their feeding ground. There were 3 walkers inside but were easily disposed of. They were able to find sutures, antibiotics, vegetable seeds and ointments that could be used on humans. Gene, still wishing to find a hen so he could have eggs, loaded a couple bags of chicken feed in the back of the truck. He had heard that it could be a substitute for popcorn and intended to find out if it was edible.

At the Drug Store Sally found Morphine, Demerol, Ampicillin, and Amoxicillin and had the men look for things like Benadryl for bee stings, ointment for poison ivy, peroxide, even creams for muscle aches and pains.

It was on their way back that they saw the hitchhiker. They passed him at first so they could get a good look at what he was carrying in the way of weapons or if he drew on them and fired as they drove past. He did not, so they drove further down before pulling off and all but Sally got out of the car. Gene leaned against the trunk of the car and watched the hitchhiker as he ran toward them, while Brandon walked the left shoulder of the highway with his rifle drawn, searching the foliage for any possible ambush. Cami did the same on the right side of the road. Sally slid into the driver's seat but watched for approaching cars that could be an ambush while glancing into the rearview mirror to keep an eye on the team.

The hitchhiker raised his arms and yelled, "I'm unarmed. I ran out of bullets a long time ago. There's no one with me. I'm alone." When he got to Brandon he stopped but Brandon told him to keep walking toward the truck. Both Brandon and Cami came up behind the guy and began to pat him down. Cami pulled a revolver out of his backpack but it wasn't loaded. "I can't tell you how happy I am to see other people," he continued. "I haven't seen anyone alive in over a month. I was beginning to think….beginning to think," his voice cracked as he tried to control his emotions.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FOUR – 4****TH**** ENTRY:**

"I'm sorry to be a beggar as soon as I get in your car, but does anyone have some water or crackers or something," the hitchhiker said. "Name's Randy. Sure am glad you came along. I was about to give up. Was gonna find some farmhouse and just lay down to die. Can't survive out here alone." Cami handed him some crackers and a peach. "Your mind starts playing games with you when you're alone", Randy continued. "Like, you're dreaming and can't wake up. Or if you're alive then you are the only person left in the world." He bit into the crackers and drank some water that Brandon handed him.

"Where you coming from son?" Gene asked the boy who looked to be about 20 years of age.

"Coming out of PA. Me, my older brother and 2 of his friends decided we weren't going to spend another winter in PA. Got as far as Knoxville on our motorcycles and then a gang of thieves and murderers jumped us in the night. I was the only one to make it…," he voice cracked. "Was out hunting for a rabbit I saw in the brush. Know I shouldn't have left the group but I'm good with a knife and hadn't eaten in a couple days. I crawled off, tracking it and that's when the rest of them were attacked and killed. I couldn't do anything for them. There were 8 of them and just one of me and there's no way I could have picked them all off before they got me. They come looking for me since there were 4 bikes and they only killed 3 by the campfire." He bit into the peach and wiped the juice off his chin with his sleeve.

"Sorry, I ramble when I'm nervous or excited. I only had the ammo in my revolver because they took my backpack. I picked this one up and some odds and ends along the way but that backpack had everything I needed in it, especially my knives. I'm real good with a knife. Can hit an apple off your head without touching your hair. Always wanted to be a knife thrower in a carnival. Studied and practiced the craft since I was a kid."

"But why would you head south?" Gene asked. "The theory is that the walkers would be less active up north and perhaps die off in the cold. North is where we were heading before we found our place."

"Didn't happen like that. All it did was equal the playing field and not in your favor. In fact it gave them the advantage because they don't feel cold. Hard to run when your feet are so cold that you can't feel them hitting the ground. I was out in a blizzard and had to turn my back to the wind to keep the sleet from hitting my face and walked backwards. But they kept coming. Nothing kills them except a head shot. I've seen them on fire, seen them fall from a 4 story building and get back up, and seen them caught in a flash flood and get back up. How many are in your group?"

"Eight of us, you make nine," said Brandon.

"Oh….." Randy sounded disappointed. "Oh….that's not good. Not for gangs like the one I ran across or the herds that I kept circling and backtracking from."

"We may need to revise our evacuation plan," Gene said. "Especially if north is out of the question."

"Not going to be an evacuation for me," Cami said. "I'm done. I'm not running anymore. The park is well protected and we now have the ammo, will have more if we could make that 2nd run back to the NRA house. We have fishing in the ponds and rivers, plants coming up, our borders are fortified and if we could find some farm animals" ("Chickens!" Gene interrupted)

"then we have the foundation of a good beginning. I will die defending the place, but I'm not evacuating. This is the end of the road for me."

Everyone was surprised to hear Cami say that. They had all felt that way at one time or another, feeling as if they just couldn't go on. But they always went through the motion of pretending it was better someplace else, always had a backup plan, an exit door.

At that point Randy became nervous as he watched all 4 of them pull their handkerchief up over their nose as if they were thieves in the old world getting ready to rob a store. "What….?", then the odor hit him as they turned off the highway into a long entrance of some sort. He quickly pulled up his shirttail to cover his nose and mouth, "Jez, what kind of place are you people living in?"

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FOUR – 5****TH**** ENTRY:**

The sun was just coming up when Brandon climbed the tunnel ladder to relieve Morgan and Caleb. Caleb would manage to stay awake for the first 2 hours, but Morgan usually had to wake him before their relief showed up. He knew the boy didn't want anyone to find him asleep since he was trying to show everyone that he could be relied upon as an adult.

"Anything to report?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah, we think we saw a car," Caleb said. Brandon stopped and looked at Morgan.

"Wasn't sure but it looked like car headlights way off in the distance. Then it turned like maybe it was going to come up the entrance drive. Lost sight of it for a while but then I thought I saw it back on the highway again."

"Maybe we should put a sign at the entrance," Brandon said. "We don't want to chase people off who can help. Randy's story about that gang has me worried. He's right. We need a bigger force. We're going to have a meeting tonight to discuss that and change our destination if we need to evacuate. I was going to suggest that you forget tonight's shift and join, but if you saw a car last night then maybe we better keep you up here again tonight."

As Morgan and Caleb were walking back in the breaking dawn they could already smell breakfast of squirrel and goose eggs. Morgan almost broke his stride when he saw Lucky come out of Roxanne's cabin. "What's wrong, Dad. Did you trip over something?" Morgan looked down at the ground trying to hide his smile, "No…no son I didn't trip."

Lucky caught up with them and asked if he could join them for breakfast. Apparently the scene was also noted by Caleb, "How is Roxanne, Lucky? Is she better this morning?" he asked.

Morgan was struggling to hold his laughter when Lucky answered, "Why yes Caleb. Roxanne is much better this morning." Morgan burst into laughter, patted Lucky's shoulder and said, "I'm glad to hear that. VERY glad to hear that, Lucky." Caleb gave them both a confused look, "What? What did I say?"

They let Randy sleep in that day knowing what an ordeal he had been through. None of them had forgotten what it felt like when they had first arrived. You needed a couple of days to adjust to living without the constant fear of losing your life. They remained alert and diligent but the horror of it was more bearable while living behind fences and barricades. Sometimes they felt that they had had a normal day and could push the thought to the back of their mind that humans were being hunted as food.

After Randy was up, filled with a breakfast and given a bucket to wash in, he sought out Sally inquiring as to the type of knives that were in the cafeteria. "I'd like to find 3 of a similar design for quick non-stop action. Needs to be a smooth handle of solid weight because lightweight knives will wobble after being thrown. Then I need to visit Morgan in the tool shed because I can throw hatchets too, hell I can throw anything with a sharp point and good balance to it. Those suckers stole my knife belt. I had everything I needed hanging off that belt."

Sally had stood listening to him in silence and then shifted her glance to Cami who was standing off behind Randy. Cami shrugged her shoulders and made a motion with her hands to shoo them toward the kitchen. Sally turned to lead Randy away, saying, "OKayyyy?"

That night Randy was starting to feel like a part of the group as his knowledge and information was sought during the meeting. His older brother seldom listened to his suggestions although he was admired for his strength and accuracy in knife throwing.

"I would have liked for Morgan to be here since only he, you Roxanne and you Lucky were not with us when we picked up Randy", Gene said. He went on to tell them of Randy's experience with walkers in the north and of the killing of Randy's brother and friends. "This leads me to think that we should make some additional plans and change others. We need additional people to fortify our group, but how can we tell who to let in?"

"I'm street smart," Cami said. "You should let me talk to them first." Lucky was silent, struggling to keep his past life in the past knowing that some people would think he was part of the cause of the ZA. Finally he spoke up, "I think between Cami and I that we should be the first to greet new visitors at the door. If you're wondering why me, it's because I was Secret Service. And no, I did not know that this was going to happen."

At that moment the door opened and a confused Morgan stood there. "Morgan, is anything wrong?" Brandon asked.

"Uh…Ed just pulled up to the front gate…and he said he's not leaving without his wife."

"Wife"? Sally whispered.

Morgan's eyes took in the group and settled on one person. "Roxanne."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FOUR – 6****TH**** ENTRY:**

All eyes turned to Roxanne. They remained in silence as Roxanne nervously fingered the hilt of her knife. "But we were told that you arrived first," Sally said. "Or was that a con too, Lucky?" she turned to him. "You tried to con me about Roxanne's knife wound. Were you still at it when we first arrived here?"

"No one was conning you, Sally," Roxanne stood up. "I did arrive alone and had been alone on the road and here for almost a month. Let's just say that I obtained a divorce ZA style along the way. Right now the issue is ED and that only Caleb left is on the wall."

"Mutt is with him," Morgan said, "but I think we should probably go."

Everyone including Randy climbed the wall to look down on ED who was waiting by his car. 'This is getting good', Randy thought. 'These people still have real lives with normal issues.'

Ed stepped away from the car and yelled up to Roxanne. "ROXIE, you gotta let me in!"

She looked down at him. "And why should I do that Ed?"

"Because you run this place. YOU OWN THIS PLACE! It's yours and they know it. COME ON ROXIE; TELL THEM TO LET ME IN!"

Suddenly Lucky grabbed Cami's arm and whispered, "The back gate! Damn it! He's a decoy. Let's hustle." He motioned to Brandon to follow them. "Let's get the car. It's too far to run and they're probably already working on the chain and lock." Gene overheard them and nodded his agreement to the plan.

"OK, ROXIE," Ed continued to divert their attention. "If you won't let me in then come out and join me. We made a good team. We'll hit the road again and find a better place."

They ran to the truck and each threw in a satchel equipped with ammo for the weapons they carried. While Lucky drove, Cami and Brandon began putting additional ammo in their clothing in case they could not get back to the truck for more. "They don't know the layout of the park, which is in our favor," Lucky said as he drove without the headlights on. "I'll pull up to the bike trail tunnel and we'll go by foot through that. It will bring us out at the petting zoo and we'll get a clear view of the gate. Fan out when we come out of the tunnel, don't stay in a group. Use the high grass and sheds as cover."

"Maybe this is the group that Randy was talking about," Brandon said as they got out of the truck to run thru the tunnel."

"Maybe," Lucky said. "But depending on how many there are I'd like to take one alive so we can question him as to whether more are camped out in the vicinity."

They came out of the tunnel to see that the gate had already been cut and that a truck was driving thru. Lucky ran ahead thru the tall grass with Cami fanning to his left and Brandon to his right. Lucky knew he couldn't let that truck get further into the park and jeopardize a battle with the rest of the group. He could see 2 men in the cab of the truck and 1 in the bed behind a machine gun that was mounted on the frame. He threw himself to the ground to avoid being seen by the headlights as the truck swung around to follow the service road, and then took aim at the driver who had his window down.

The sound echoed throughout the countryside when Lucky pulled the trigger, followed by rapid gunfire from the mounted machine gun. Gene had kept Ed busy talking so he wouldn't notice that part of the group was missing from the entrance but there was no mistaking that a gun battle was taking place. Roxanne made a dash for the ladder but Gene grabbed her arm and stopped her. "No, they could be trying to draw us away from the entrance, knowing that we would all rush to gunfire. Let's wait and see if headlights appear on the highway below".

"Jesus Gene," Roxanne said trying to pull her arm away as she continued to hear gun fire. "That's a heavy gun fight going on back there. Let me go."

"Car coming!" Morgan shouted. "Caleb, you and Randy go to the shed below for rifles and ammo and bring them up. Then I want Caleb to go the Admin Bldg. and wait for me there." "No, dad. I want to stay and fight" Caleb objected.

Gene interjected, "Morgan, if I may? Caleb, after you bring up the weapons I want you to go down and make sure no one comes through that bus. You know what we had planned. You know where the cord is that we strung the grenades on. If anyone comes through on that bus it means we were no longer able to defend it. Do you understand me?" Caleb was wide eyed with the implication, but he nodded agreement. "You blow it then you take your dirt bike and go thru that portion of the fence that Ed had been clearing. Use the dirt trail and get as far away as you can.

"Shit" Morgan said. "Make that 2 vehicles coming in." At that moment Ed jumped in the car and released the trunk latch, allowing 2 men to jump out.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FOUR – 7****TH**** ENTRY:**

The truck slowly rolled to a stop after Lucky shot the driver but the man at the machine gun hardly paused before opening fire. Cami and Brandon flattened out in the tall grass as bullets whipped through the area around them. The man in the passenger seat jumped out and fired a few shots over the hood into the darkness not knowing where the shooter was. Another man not previously seen jumped out of the truck bed and hid behind the fender yelling out, "Hold up. We don't know what we're shooting at. Lenny, keep using the machine gun as cover fire as we fan out."

Since Brandon had moved to the right he was closest to the open gate when he saw movement, nothing more than shadows, along the chain links. It was a 2nd group of what looked like 4 more men dressed in black, very silent and very quick. Brandon decided to concentrate on those 4 while Cami and Lucky took care of the truck. If this 2nd group was undetected by them then Cami & Lucky could easily be surrounded. He quickly took out 1 with his rifle but the other 3 immediately flatten into the grass and was lost from sight. Brandon crouched and ran to a small shed where he could stand up and get a better view. He studied the grass in the moonlight until he saw one section swaying, coming directly toward him. He calculated and took aim to where a person's head would be if lying down in the grass before he pulled off another shot. The grass stopped moving, but he could not see the same pattern elsewhere and became concerned that the other 2 were creeping up on Lucky. He moved to the other side of the shed to get a better view of Lucky's position.

When Cami heard the man's order given to lay down cover fire she immediately sprayed a round of bullets into the body of the truck, forcing the men to hide behind it again. Unfortunately that brought her position to the attention of the machine gunner and bullets began to wiz all around her. She heard a couple of rapid shots from Lucky's direction and took the opportunity to crawl behind a shed for more cover. Each time Lucky drew fire she would roll out from behind the shed and lay down more fire at the machine gunner until she final saw him topple over. That left the two men behind the truck, that is if they were still there and had not moved off into the woods. She reloaded then came out running to her left to swing a wide circle around the truck.

Lucky saw Cami make an assault on the truck after taking down the gunner. Not knowing where Brandon was he made the same wide circle to the right of the truck, looking for the man who had previously given orders. Lucky was just coming out of the tall grass and onto the asphalt road when he heard the crunch of gravel behind him. He swung around to see a hooded man in black raising his arm to stab him when a shot rang out, tearing the man's throat out. He looked up to see Brandon in the distance frantically pointing toward Cami. Another man in black was approaching her from behind but was upon her before Lucky could fire. Cami must have felt his approach at the last moment because she turned in time to throw up her gun and block his arm, then hit him in the face with the butt of her rifle. Lucky saw Cami continue to pound the butt of her gun into what he assumed was the face of the guy on the ground.

Brandon caught up with Lucky and they both ran over to Cami. "There are still 2," Lucky said. "These 2 were not in the truck."

"No," Brandon said, "They were outside the fence and came in when you and Cami were laying fire down on the truck. There's been gunfire at the front gate for a long time too." At that point they heard screams in the woods nearby and single shots rang out. Brandon turned to look back at the gate and saw that walkers were starting to come through. "Lucky, come with me to hold off the walkers while Cami backs their truck up to the gate. It is only a temporary solution, but we need to get back to the front entrance. I don't think we need to worry about those other 2 right now."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FOUR – 8****TH**** ENTRY:**

The plan was for Gene to shoot out the window of the car as it entered the circle and when the occupants abandoned the vehicle that Sally, Roxanne and Morgan would pick off the stragglers. But they hadn't expected a machine gun to be mounted on the cab of a truck, nor at the speed in which it approached. As the truck came into the circle it turned so the machine gun could take out all the windows in the bus. The night was filled with the sound of breaking glass; of bullets hitting metal and everyone flattened into the grass before being able to fire off a single shot.

The driver did not see Ed's car in time to stop and smashed into it, scattering the 2 armed men who Ed had released from the trunk. Their confusion temporally gave the group their advantage back. They poured lead into the truck before anyone could get out but had to duck again as the 2nd truck burst into view. It stopped before entering the circle to lay rapid fire back at them. Two men got out of the first vehicle and also began shooting at them. Dirt and pebbles kept flying up into their faces and it was becoming difficult to see. Sally cried out and Roxanne turned to see that blood was streaming down Sally's cheek.

Gene knew that they were attempting to keep them hunkered down so that some of them could enter the bus and gain access to the other side. If that happened then Caleb would blow the bus which could take down the tunnel and them with it. But by lying in the grass their view was restricted to the outer portion of the parking lot and he had no idea if anyone had approached the bus or how close they were to the fence-line. The rapid gunfire was keeping him from crawling further out so he could see what was happening below him.

Caleb was kneeling behind a cement barrier 30 feet outside of the tunnel with his hand on the cord that would set off the grenades. He was so afraid that he trembled. No matter how many walkers he had killed, how many times he had hidden or run he still became mad at himself for being afraid. He thought he would have been over it by now since it had been a way of life for him for the last year. He knew what Gene was indicating, that if anyone came out of the bus and thru the tunnel that it meant everyone in his group was dead. The thought of being alone in a ZA world frightened him even more. He looked at the cord in his hand and wondered why he was holding it instead of his crossbow. Then it occurred to him that Gene had not expected the windows of the bus to be blown out and just because someone came thru the tunnel it did not mean that everyone was dead.

He dropped the cord and pulled his crossbow to him instead, then ran to the mouth of the tunnel and stood behind one of the pillars, keeping his eye on the door of the bus. The inside of the tunnel was dark but he should be able to see the silhouette of anyone who came thru the bus and he wanted to be prepared for them. To comfort himself on his inability of the past to make a head shot he reminded himself that this was a human and any arrow that made contact would have an effect.

At that moment he saw movement on the bus. Someone was walking down the aisle to the door. He told himself to remember his lessons, take the stance, position yourself; it is just a target and doesn't need to be a bulls-eye. Just hit the target. He let out his breath because his heart was beating so fast and knew that in a short period of time his legs would become wobbly on him again. He aimed to the center of the doorframe and when the shadow stepped down he released the arrow. 'Thump' and a scream followed. "Yes," Caleb whispered. He quickly put another arrow in the shaft.

There was still continuous gunfire so Caleb knew that his group was still fighting, which gave him hope. Hitting his mark increased his confidence and he realized that his legs had steadied. He saw another shadow climb into the bus. Feeling that he had just crossed the threshold into manhood he smiled and whispered, "Come on sucker. I got you nailed." But the man knelt down behind the seats and called out to his partner, "Nuyen, you alright? Where you hurt man?" Caleb adjusted his aim and waited until he saw the man come forward to kneel over his fallen comrade. Releasing the arrow he hit the man between his shoulder and neck. The man cried out and Caleb quickly reloaded when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Caleb gasped and quickly turned, pulling away from the grasp on his shoulder. "Relax Caleb," Lucky said. "I want one of them alive to question. Don't kill them all off" he smiled. Then they both ducked when they heard explosions in the parking lot circle.

(page break)

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FOUR – 9****TH**** ENTRY:**

Randy had been feeling useless on top of the mound while everyone was attempting to hold back the assault. This was not a situation in which his knife throwing skills would help them and his revolver was no match for the amount of power being thrown at them. Then he remembered seeing grenades in the ammo shed below. As he climbed down the ladder he looked over to the cement culvert where Caleb should have been positioned but did not see him there. He assumed that the poor kid was down on his hands and knees hiding behind the pillar in case he had to blow the tunnel. He found a box of grenades and took 3 knowing that his throwing skills would meet the target of anything he aimed for. All he needed was a quick glance at where the target was stationed and he could throw blind.

He climbed back up the ladder and crawled to position himself behind the others who were on their bellies. He quickly popped up and saw a truck at the entrance to his right. It was a good distance but to him it was no more than an overhead lob. While in a lying position he removed the pin and lobbed it in a high arc over his right shoulder.

"KABOOM!" They heard metal being torn apart and some of it started to rain down on them. Gene was on the other side of Roxanne and turned to look behind them when he saw Randy grinning with grenades in his hand. A few more pieces of metal fell among them, causing them to cover their heads. "You could have given us a heads-up Randy," Gene said, "but NICE ONE!"

They were able to crawl forward and see what was happening below them. Two bodies were on the ground, a 3rd was crawling with his hands over his ears, 1 man was just climbing into the back of the first truck to use the machine gun and 1 man was making a run for the bus.

Morgan saw Randy make a move to use another grenade and yelled, "NO, I want that truck intact with the machine gun mounted on it. Somebody get that sucker and I'll go down to meet the other guy when he comes out of the bus." He heard 3 shots ring out as he climbed down the ladder but only 2 of them came from his group on the mound. The other shot came from inside the bus.

Hoping that Caleb had stayed put he quickly rushed down the ladder and looked into the tunnel to see Caleb standing there with a gun in his hand. Morgan rushed to Caleb and put his hands on his shoulders, "Are you hurt son? What happened?"

"I'm fine" Caleb answered. "It's his gun," he stepped aside and Morgan could see 2 men crumbled together on the bus steps. Both had arrows in them. Morgan expelled his breath not realizing that he had been holding it. Then he saw movement on the bus and quickly shoved Caleb aside to pull out his gun. "It's OK, Dad. It's Lucky."

"Morgan, help me get these bodies out of the doorway so I can pull this other one out and question him," Lucky said.

The rest of the group came down the ladder to greeted Cami and Brandon who had stayed behind when they saw walkers inside the Park. "Someone cut that portion of the fence that Ed was working on," Brandon said. "It was wide open and walkers were coming through. We could hear the gunfire but Lucky ran ahead while we took care of the walkers. The fence is still open and we are not safe yet. It is going to take some big time repairs and the back gate we only temporarily blocked with a truck. I think we are going to be working all night and should not let our guard down. They wanted this place so much that they let walkers in to take us out if they couldn't."

Sally was holding a rag to her face and looked up to see that everyone had bleeding gashes and wounds on the face, neck and shoulders from debris kicked up by the rapid fire on the hillside, and later by falling debris from the truck Randy blew up. "Right now we need to get everyone inside so I can take care of the wounds. Roxanne that shoulder needs stitches. Lucky, can't you and Brandon handle this guy while Cami stitches me up," she said.

"The hell I will. I can't stand the sight of blood," Cami said. "Faint every time." Everyone turned to look at her. "Well, except if I killed them, then I'm OK with blood. Speaking of which, I better get out front and kill the dead so they don't turn." With that she pushed by Lucky and went through the bus.

"I have unfinished business to take care of," Roxanne said as she also stepped over Lucky and followed Cami to the back of the bus. "You can stitch my shoulder later, Sally." She went over to the car that Ed had driven and saw that he was still alive, laying across the car seat sniveling. Cami looked up after shooting a dead guy in the head to see Roxanne open the car door and pull Ed out, shoving him up against the back window.

"They made me do it, Roxie," Ed whined. "Look at my face and you can tell that they beat me to get information." Her answer was to grab his shoulders and use all her strength to bang him up against the window. "Owwww, Roxie," as his head hit the glass. She grabbed his head in both hands to pull him down and then smashed his head against the glass again. She did this again and again until his legs started to crumble but she used her body to pin him against the car, ramming her knee between his legs to hold him up while she continued to use his head to smash the glass. When the glass broke Roxanne shifted his body to pound his head against the door frame.

Cami watched and wondered where Roxanne found the strength to hold up his body while pulling his torso forward only to smash it repeatedly against the metal. Her hands were becoming slippery with blood and grey matter began to ooze down the car yet Roxanne continued after Cami put a hand on her shoulder and softly said her name. She smashed him again until Cami put her arm across Roxanne's chest and pushed her away, "Roxanne!" This time Roxanne stepped away breathing heavily and watched as Ed's body slowly slid to the ground, leaving residue on the side of the car. She raised her hand to wipe the sweat off her forehead but Cami grabbed her, "No don't. Here," she pulled a water canteen off her belt still holding onto Roxanne's wrist. As she washed the blood and brains from Roxanne's hands she looked up to see Lucky standing at the back door of the bus.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FOUR – 10****TH**** ENTRY:**

Lucky had shot the man in the chest and he was gurgling badly. He shook the man and asked, "How many of you are there?" The man tried to talk but only managed to cough. Lucky poured some water on the man's face and asked again. This time the reply was "Too many." Brandon and Lucky looked at one another, not liking that answer.

"Where is your campsite?" The man began gasping for breath, "You….are all dead…Chen Le will….slaughter….you."

They worked all through the night. Gene found plywood and boarded up the windows in the bus. The bus wouldn't start and they knew that they needed to find another way of blocking the front entrance and still allow them access in and out, but there were more important things to attend to at the moment. It took both Brandon and Lucky to hold up the fence that had been cut down while Cami used chains, wire and hooks to tie it back in place. They were not confident with it and planned on using some of the carnival rides to block it later. Everyone except Sally, Caleb and Morgan, who they later discovered had dislocated his shoulder and had not said anything, did a final sweep of the entire park, finding some walkers still wandering around. They had the opportunity to see Randy at his best, taking them down with a knife throw or a hatchet.

They left the dead where they fell, including the humans they had killed. Now was not the time for gathering bodies and hauling them down the hill. There were more important things, "like this Chen Le" Morgan said at the meeting.

"He could have been just trying to scare us," Sally said as she put the last of the dressing on Morgan's shoulder. Roxanne was holding a rag against her shoulder waiting for her turn. The wound had opened wider while she was killing Ed.

Dawn was just appearing through the windows and everyone was exhausted but Lucky knew that timing was crucial. He shook his head, "I don't think so. There were 8 at the back, 9 at the front, that's someone who has accumulated a large force. He wouldn't have come along with them. He would send people to do it for him while he stayed back with his own protection. He could have 15 – 20 more."

We need to move on," Randy said. "I've seen groups like this in PA. They're vicious. They will stop at nothing and there are only 9 of us."

"I'm not leaving," Cami said.

"Neither am I," Roxanne said. "And I'm not waiting around to see if they show up." Everyone turned to look at her. "We need to attack them. They won't be expecting us, even if they had scouts watching last night to report back to them. They think we will take the day to rebuild and patch our wounds. But they won't wait so we need to get to them first."

Everyone was quiet, stunned by the statement. No one had expected this analysis from Roxanne but rather from Lucky since he had been Secret Service. The thought must have been in all their minds but it was Gene who asked the question. "What do you say Lucky," Gene put his arm around his wife. "Do we go after them and how do we know where they are?"

Lucky was still staring at Roxanne and needed to pull himself away from looking at her. She still had the ability to shock and amaze him and he couldn't get the vision out of his head as to how she had just killed Ed. "I…uh…Yes, she's right. We need to take into consideration that Ed was their decoy and gave them information. He would have told them that we guard the front entrance every night and that the back gate would be left unguarded. Also, since ED left here by the back gate I think that is where he ran into them, somewhere along that road. Roxanne, you said you abandoned your car and came thru the mountainside. You said there were a few homes scattered along the way. Would you remember how to get back to that road?"

"Yes, and I've remember a place. A farmhouse with a rambler built next to it and a barn in the back. If they have as you say, 15 – 20 more people that place would be suitable for them. But it took me ½ day to come down the mountain and we will be going uphill on the way back carrying equipment. It would be close to dark and we would need to do a quick assessment of the place. This time the advantage would be theirs because they know the place and we don't."

"This is suicide for everyone," Randy said. "We don't have enough personnel to attack and to protect this place at the same time. The people you leave behind can't defend themselves if 15 people attack again tonight. And how are 5 – 6 of you going to fight a mob in an unfamiliar territory like the one you just described?"

"I'm sorry Roxanne," Morgan said, "but I tend to agree with Randy. I think we should call our losses and go." "So do I," Sally said.

"Ed didn't know everything about this place," Cami said. "There is a trap door under the stage of the theater. I think that Morgan, Sally and Caleb should take several days' supply and stay hunkered down in there, not venturing out in case the place is being watched. The rest of us start hiking uphill where I will finally get to use my rocket launcher and bazooka. Let's just blow their heads off."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FOUR – 11****TH**** ENTRY:**

It was agreed that if they did not get back in 2 days that Morgan, Sally and Caleb would leave the Park. There would be plenty of vehicles if the park wasn't overtaken. If it was occupied by outside forces then they would make their way to the logging road where they had mended the fence. They were not to take the service road because it could lead them into an ambush. No one knew where the service road met the highway that Roxanne was on when she ran out of gas and it was the area suspected to be where Chen Le was holding up.

Everyone was running on adrenalin without any sleep since the battle. The assault had taken place that night, everyone had been patched up, the fences secured, the walkers killed and now that dawn was breaking they were preparing to hike up the mountainside. In addition to their gun bags Randy took grenades, Cami the Rocket launcher, Gene the Bazooka, Lucky the submachine gun, Brandon the semi-automatic 12 gauge and Roxanne the AA-12 combat shotgun. They knew that this could not be a hand-to-hand combat situation if they were outnumbered and that they needed to take the place out undetected if possible. No one felt guilty about not giving them a fair fight. They needed to destroy them, and do it quickly.

"Before we leave I need to make sure that no one here objects to killing an unarmed man," Lucky said. "Randy?" Randy shook his head, "No, I'm in it with you. Those guys who attacked my brother didn't give him a fair fight. If we don't kill them, they'll come after us. You can count on me."

Morgan, Caleb and Sally filled the room under the stage trap door with supplies and sleeping gear along with as much ammo they felt they could carry if forced to leave on foot. The goodbyes were tearful since everyone realized that Chen Le could have already sent his own forces to attack the Park a second time. Roxanne led them thru the now shattered bus and to the left of the gate toward the mountainside, passing Ed's body along the way. She glanced down at it, but did not stop or say anything.

It didn't take long for them to realize that Roxanne was right about walking uphill with all their equipment and that it would probably be late afternoon or early evening before they found Chen Le's settlement. They had to stop 3 times to catch their breath and take a break to drink water. They ate while climbing, not wanting to lose any additional time. No one spoke the whole time, each consumed in their own thoughts of survival and concern for those who they had left behind and the uncertainty of their own future. Randy never suggested that they should turn back or that they were making the wrong decision. Once committed, he was determined to earn his worth as a member of the group and he was confident that he could throw the grenades in effective areas at the right time. He knew he would be an asset to them.

At about 3 o'clock they could see the highway that Roxanne used but they stayed in the foliage to avoid any detection by possible scouts that Chen Le could have positioned along the road. He would be expecting them to travel by car or truck, whether they decided to attack or to flee, but Lucky and Roxanne were going by the theory that Chen Le felt they were a bunch of amateurs who got lucky last night and were still at the Park.

Roxanne took off her gear, "I need to see if my car is up there and if we came out at the right spot. I need to get my bearings and see if anything looks familiar. We should be going right along the road unless I led you too far across the mountainside. It's been a couple of months and things have grown up a lot more."

She got down on her belly and crawled toward the highway, hoping to keep her head in the bushes and tall grass to be able to see down the road without exposing herself too much.

Everyone knelt down and watched her with baited breath until she crawled backwards, and still hunched down she trotted over to meet them. "The car is there," she whispered. "But a guy is sitting on top of it as a look out with a shotgun across his knees. He has a motorcycle with him but I wonder if he has a walkie-talkie with him too."

That's a possibility," Lucky said. "If he does then we don't want to take him out, even silently. They could call for him and get suspicious if he doesn't answer. Roxanne, how far down the road is the farmhouse?"

"About a mile. I say we back down into the heavier part of the woods but try to keep the road in our sight. It will be tough walking because of the tilt downwards on this side, but the land will even out a little further up. I remember seeing houses built on this side of the road too because the land was level. The farmhouse we want is on the opposite side of the road. I only hope that we see activity outside of the house because we would need to wait until it gets dark to cross the open road to get a look inside the houses."

After another ½ mile the land evened out and was level with the road. Their legs were being tested walking on the slope and the previous night's battle was catching up to them. They were all exhausted and were now practically dragging their equipment rather than carrying it when they finally saw a break in the foliage and could see the houses. "Jesus," Cami said dropping on her butt and taking a drink of water. "If I don't get a chance to use this Rocket Launcher I will use it on myself."

"Cami, Randy and Gene," Lucky said, "since you 3 are carrying explosive devices try not to take out all the vehicles. We need 1 or 2 to make a quick get-a-way and get back to the Park. If you see someone get in a vehicle, let him start it. One of us will take him out with a bullet then it will be ready for us to jump into. I would like for the whole thing to go down with explosives but we've got to be sure that this is the main group and that Chen Le is using this as his headquarters. We can go in and take out the stragglers but I want one alive so I can question him. I don't want anyone trying to be a hero, especially you Cami or you Roxanne. I know neither of you want to leave the park, but I don't want this to be your last stand."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FOUR – 12****TH**** ENTRY:**

They crept up to the bushes so they could watch the 2 houses across the street for any activity. There were 3 men sitting on the porch of the farm house with 2 trucks parked facing outward toward the road. The brick rambler had its windows and door open to catch a breeze but they caught sight of only 1 shadow as someone passed the window. They could not hear the conversation of the men on the porch to know whether they were discussing last night's raid.

"But how do we know it's them," Randy whispered, "and not just a group seeking shelter?' At that moment a man came out of the rambler with a bandage on his head and arm to join the men on the porch. "This is it," Cami said. "That guy was in the passenger seat of the truck and bailed when Lucky shot the driver. Later we heard screaming in the forest and assumed two of them were attacked by walkers. He must have found his way back here."

"But why are they so casual after last night," Gene asked. "Why aren't they gearing up?"

"Perhaps they already sent a group ahead to the park and these remained behind," Roxanne suggested.

Lucky shook his head, "No, I think others may be on an ammo run. They lost a lot of weapons and 3 vehicles in that fight when their men didn't return. I think they've depleted their supply down to rifles and hand guns. Neither of those trucks have mounted machine guns, but we don't know what other vehicles they have. It'll be getting dark soon so they should be back shortly. I don't want a second fight with the leftovers that arrive later. I say we wait and make sure we get them all."

Randy noticed that they were hiding behind blueberry bushes bearing fruit so he settled down to eat some. "Stop it!" Lucky ordered. "I don't want them to see that bush moving and come out here to investigate. Cami when I give the signal use the rocket launcher on the brick rambler and then the barn, so get into position to be able hit the barn in the background too. Gene you use the bazooka on the house. That should rush everyone toward the cars where we can pick them off with gunfire. There's no room for any more cars in the driveway so if a second team arrives they will need to park on the road which could block your view of the buildings. You 2 spread out and take a position where you can still see the house if a truck parks in front of it, but be careful not to be seen. When they pull up wait for my signal. I want to see if anyone calls out Chen Le's name."

They didn't have long to wait when a station wagon pulled up and parked in front of the rambler. Lucky looked over at Cami and saw her move further over to her left to allow for a better shot. When the station wagon arrived a man dressed in black came out on the porch of the farmhouse to greet them. Four men got of the car which now put the count up to 9 men against their 6 but Lucky was counting on the explosion to take out a couple of them on the porch and anyone who could still be in the rambler. He took note of the driver of the car so he would know which body to find the keys on. As the men started to unload the station wagon one of them addressed the man who had come out on the porch, "We didn't find much Chen Le. Pickin's were slim this time."

Lucky gave the signal to Cami and the woman had been so anxious to use her weapon that the rambler exploded before he could lower his hand. Debris flew everywhere and the men dropped their boxes and ducked. Another signal from Lucky and Gene used the bazooka, exploding the farm house which sent 2 men flying off the porch. Chen Le had already stepped down to greet his men and was thrown to the ground but not badly hurt. There was pandemonium as no one knew where the attack was coming from. Some ran for the vehicles while others ran toward the barn. Chen Le gave out orders which no one appeared to be listening to. The barn suddenly exploded sending everyone back to the vehicles. They were now boxed in as the buildings were on fire and their only cover or escape were the cars. No one had drawn a weapon until Chen Le started pointing to the bushes and yelling at his men.

Rifle fire came from the bushes as Lucky, Roxanne and Brandon started to pick off the survivors as they tried to take shelter behind the cars. Two men on fire ran screaming out of the rambler and Cami took them out with her rifle. Chen Le jumped in the lead truck and pulled out while under a hail of gunfire from Roxanne but he managed to make a right while keeping his head down and floored it going down the road. Gene knew that Lucky wanted to question Chen Le but he wanted revenge for putting his wife in danger. He stood up knowing that he could be sighted but managed to get off a quick shot from the bazooka while his group gave him cover. The truck exploded and swerved off the road, hitting a tree.

Lucky signaled for them to stop shooting so he could hear if there was return gun fire, but there was silence except for the burning building. "Is that all of them?" he asked. "No," Brandon said, "I think 2 are hiding behind that last truck." In the silence they could hear a motorcycle coming and knew the look-out was responding to the noise back at camp. "Let him go in," Lucky said, "and see if anyone answers him. If he keeps going, Brandon you take him out before he gets away."

The motorcycle pulled up and stopped on the road in front of the farmhouse. They could hear the rider say, "Jesus" several times as he surveyed the damage. He got off the motorcycle and began walking toward the house calling "Chen Le, Shaun, anyone here?" A guy peeked his head out from behind the last truck and said, "Get down, get down, they're across the road." The man quickly ran behind the truck and joined him.

"Gene," Lucky said, "Go down the road and make sure Chen Le doesn't get away if he's still alive. Randy come with me, the rest of you stay here," he ran at a crouch to where Cami was. "Cami and I are going to use the station wagon as cover and go across the road. They won't see us approach at that angle. But first, Randy do you think you can lob one of those great grenade shots of yours behind the truck, but not close enough to kill them? I just want to flush them out toward the rambler so Cami and I can pick them off. Randy nodded, "Sure, no problem."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FOUR – 13****TH**** ENTRY**

The first throw that Randy tossed was too far away from the truck. "Damn, what the hell?" they heard one of the men say, "What are we gonna do? Where do we go?" Another voice said "the best way outta this would be behind the rambler then make for the woods. Wish I had driven my motorcycle back here instead of leaving it on the road." 

Lucky nodded at Randy who tossed another grenade, this one closer spraying dirt and pebbles on the men. "Next one's gonna hit us. We gotta make a break for it." Cami & Lucky ran across the road to the station wagon as the three men made a break to the back of the rambler firing random shots as cover. Lucky shot one of them but Cami's shot hit the side of the rambler and 2 of them disappeared from sight.

Randy moved up to join them at the car. Lucky motioned for Cami & Randy to run to the left side of the building while Lucky ran to the right and checked behind the truck to make sure no one was hiding there. He glanced up to see 2 men running for the woods. Lucky motioned to Cami and then stepped out into full view, "I got the one on the right," he said and Cami took the one out on the left. "Be careful. We don't know if there are more inside the houses". The fires had been more of a burst of flame when the rockets hit and were starting to go out in the rambler. The barn was in full flames and the farmhouse was in more of a crumbled, shattered condition from the bazooka. He signaled to Brandon & Roxanne to come over and had them search through what was left. Cami went out into the field to finish off the guys and get their guns.

Lucky found the keys on the driver of the station wagon and tossed them to Roxanne. "Get everything you can find into the car and then drive down to pick up me and Gene. I'm going to run down there and see about Chen Le." Chen Le was not in good condition. Most of his skin and hair had been peeled off by the blast. They could smell burnt flesh but he was still alive. "You get anything out of him?" Lucky asked.

Gene shook his head, "Nope, all I get back is a fuck you." Lucky walked up to Chen Le still sitting in the driver's seat and hit Chen Le's torn, bleeding arm with the butt of his rifle to get his attention. He screamed out and yelled, "Death to you. Death!"

"Are there more of you?" Lucky asked.

"More coming…..every day….more coming."

"From where?"

"Florida…..Florida toast. Everyone leave…..go north…..but they come here to you. I found you….they will too," he attempted to laugh but only managed to spit up blood and began to gurgle. Lucky shot him in the head as Roxanne pulled up in the car with Cami and Brandon but Randy had elected to take the motorcycle. Lucky glanced in the back and saw that they had made a pretty good haul of weapons and food.

"We saw walkers starting to come out of the woods behind the houses," Cami said. "We need to get a move on." Lucky got in the front with Roxanne and Gene squeezed in the back with Brandon and Cami. Randy followed behind in the chopper and looked like he was having fun doing it. Everyone was silent until they passed the car that Roxanne had abandoned. "I can't believe that we pulled that off," Gene said. "By the way they hit us last night I was expecting more."

Roxanne turned on the headlights not being able see the road without them anymore, "They were a terrible force to others less fortunate than us," she said. "We had the weapons, the ammo and had built a small fortress. They've probably been killing people all along the way and became overconfident because of it."

"Which is why we need to get back to that NRA house and get the rest of those weapons," Cami insisted.

"We haven't forgotten Cami," Lucky said. "Sally needed to get medical supplies and then this happened. We need to get that bus out of the way so we can get in and out of the park by the front entrance. It's been shot up all to hell and we don't know if it will start anymore to move it. We can't leave the tunnel open so we need to find a replacement. We should work on some ideas but we're all too tired right now."

Roxanne stopped when the highway turned north and her headlights caught an unmarked road leading off to her left. "Is this the service road?" she asked. "You would think that it would be marked for deliveries but I didn't see any signs that it goes to the park." She backed up so her headlights would shine down the road. Randy pulled up beside her and said that he would look on the side of the road for a downed sign. He got out his flashlight and walked the cycle along the road until he spotted something and got off the bike to investigate. He went into the brush and they could see him lift something. When he got back on his bike he motioned for them to follow him.

It was slow going for both of them since the concrete was broken and washed away in places. The trees hugged the road not allowing the moonlight in to help them and to make matters worse the fog was drifting in. Randy almost fell off his bike when a deer suddenly darted across the road. They rounded a turn to see the fence but they couldn't see the truck that they had parked up against the gate because of a crowd of walkers. "Oh shit" Gene said, "I'm really not up to this. I just want my comfortable cot."

"Just don't shoot up the truck while we deal with these walkers," Lucky said. "We need to be able to move it to let us in and then move it back into place again until we can fix that gate. Leave your headlights on Roxanne," he said as he opened the door. Randy was sitting on his motorcycle in front of their car and had his pistol out shooting the walkers coming toward him. The rest of the group lined up on each side of him and started firing at the 20 – 30 walkers that had been attracted by the noise the night before. The mist made it more difficult to get a head shot but the walkers were easy targets since they hadn't eaten in a long time and were slow. Brandon and Cami were on the two ends of the line and watched the woods for more walkers coming out of the fog unnoticed. They alternated their focus between the herd coming toward the headlights which gave the area an eerie nightmare affect and any possible attack from the sides.

After several reloads of ammo the herd was put down. Lucky ran forward to open the gate and move the truck that had been abandoned by Chen Le's group. After the cycle and car went through Brandon ran back to Lucky and said he had found a chain and lock in the station wagon. They chained the fence and after Lucky put the truck in place he got back in next to Roxanne.

"Morgan, Sally and Caleb must be worried sick about us," Gene said.

"To say nothing of Mutt," Roxanne added. "I told him last time that I wouldn't leave him again. I hope he understands that he was more help to them than to us."

END OF CHAPTER FOUR.


	5. Chapter 5

ROXANNE'S STORY - CHAPTER FIVE – FIRST ENTRY:

As they drove to the Admin Bldg. they did not see any walkers or signs that their hidden members had faced any danger on the grounds while they were gone. They parked the car at the admin bldg. and went on foot to reach the Entertainment Section. They had not used or visited that section often except for Cami, so they let her lead the way thru the overgrown grounds and shattered debris caused by a storm sometime in the past.

Knowing that Morgan, Sally and Caleb would hear their boots on the hardwood floor Gene started calling out their names so as not to frighten them. "Sally, are you OK? It's safe," he yelled as he used his flashlight to thread through the overturned seats of long ago audiences.

The trap door opened and Morgan stuck his head out. "Damn it! We know you said it could possibly be 2 days but we were worried sick after it got dark." Roxanne could hear Mutt barking below Morgan as he climbed the ladder from the trap door. He almost tripped on the last rung when Mutt darted up the ladder, jumped off the stage and ran to Roxanne.

She laughed and got down on her knees so he could lick her face, "Good Boy. You did good. You kept them safe" she rubbed and kneaded his skin the way he liked it.

Sally was helped off the ladder by Gene and given a big hug. "Everything was quiet here," Morgan said. "Too quiet. Damn spooky place at night. Wouldn't want to spend another night down there, but I suggest we leave some supplies there for this very purpose. It was a good spot to hide in, Cami," he said as he patted her on the shoulder.

"I wanted to go," Caleb said as he shut the trap door. "I could have helped."

"Yes, we know that," Gene said. "But with both Sally and your dad injured we needed you and Mutt here to protect them."

They all began to leave the theater when Morgan pulled Roxanne aside. "Had trouble with that one while you were gone," he nodded toward Caleb. "Wanted to go out and search the grounds. I don't know what last night's attack on the park has done to him. I'm afraid he'll get reckless. Once, when I couldn't talk him out of it Caleb started to climb the ladder until Mutt grabbed his pant leg and wouldn't let go. Ha."

Roxanne gave him a hug and said, "Last night is still fresh in his mind. You are not alone in raising him anymore Morgan. Everyone here is his family now and will be giving him guidance."

The walk back was more treacherous that the hike up the mountain and a few of them fell over unseen roots in the dark or tripped over debris. "We're exhausted," Brandon said as he picked himself up off the ground. "Morgan, did you and Caleb get any sleep? Can you relieve us this evening?"

Morgan stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. "Are we expecting trouble? I just assumed since everyone is OK that the mission was accomplished. What are you saying? Did you not find them?"

"We found them," Brandon said as he got everyone walking again. "And we took care of it. It's not them I'm worried about, it's the fences. Until we can search the park in daylight we don't know if they cut other sections of it and there was a large gathering of walkers at the back gate. We've only temporarily fixed the breaches that we're aware of but I'm hesitant on all of us going to bed without a spotter on duty."

Morgan nodded, "OK, we can do that. Can't guarantee you that we can stay awake all night though, without backup".

Once they were back to the path's that split up Morgan and Caleb peeled off toward the front entrance. After they went through their inner barrier Lucky and Roxanne started to peel off toward her cabin when Brandon spoke up, "Wait a minute you two. Don't you think you ought to stay in the Admin Bldg. tonight? We don't know what's out there in the park and I don't like the idea of you being separated from the rest of us."

Lucky had been walking away with one arm around Roxanne's shoulder. He didn't miss his stride as he threw up his right hand and gave Brandon the finger. Randy started laughing. "Leave them alone. Don't think anybody is gonna show up asking for Roxanne again. And what was that all about anyway? I came in late on that." No one answered him.

Roxanne barely had a candle lit when Lucky took her in his arms and gave her a long kiss. Then he held her to his chest and whispered, "I didn't know what to do."

She looked up at him, "What do you mean? You did just fine. The plan worked."

"No," he kissed her on the forehead. "I didn't want you to go with us in case anything went wrong. Didn't want to watch you die if it did. But I didn't want to leave you here either, in case the park was hit and you died without me. I would never have forgiven myself either way. I didn't know what to do."

Roxanne pulled away from him, "You can't start thinking like that. You'll make mistakes and the wrong choices if you think like that. We all have our talents here and work as a team and that is how you must look at us, all of us, as a team." She stepped up to him and put her hand on his chest. "In this cabin we are Lucky and Roxanne but out there you must continue to see me as a team and nothing more." He touched her face and looked deep into her eyes seeing that she was emotionally strong about what she had just said. He knew that she would not have become confused over the issue as he had done. A silent agreement was met in their stare until Lucky reached out and began to unbutton her shirt. She smiled as she reached out to unbuckle his belt. "You stink like a man who has been in battle" she whispered.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FIVE – 2****ND**** ENTRY:**

Morgan stopped at the ladder to the mound after leaving the rest of the group and asked Caleb not to follow him up. "Just let me check a few things first and then I'll call down to you," he said as he started climbing. Caleb looked confused but since they had disagreed on most things during the day he decided to keep his peace.

As Morgan topped the mound and the stench hit him he knew it was as he feared. They had left the bodies of Chen Le's men as they had fallen, not having the time for clean up before getting their group out of the park unseen. But also for a more evil intent that if another attack was planned by Chen Le perhaps the sight of his dead men would send the message that they were not to be fucked with.

Morgan flatted out and crawled to the edge of the mound to peer below. The walkers had smelled fresh meat and moved in during the day. There was very little left of the bodies but it was not a sight he wanted Caleb to witness. Dried blood and pieces of bodies were strung throughout the circle with a few walkers still lingering. He was not going to sit up here all night and look at this carnage, nor would he be able to endure the smell. He crawled back to the ladder not wanting the walkers to spot him and become more active.

At the bottom of the ladder he told Caleb, "We're not sitting up there tonight, I don't care what Brandon wants." When Caleb asked why he just sighed and answered, "Because it's not something that I can stomach and there are walkers out there. It's best they don't see us. Come on. We'll walk the fence line and you can practice your shooting with the crossbow if we see any walkers. But we won't be retrieving your arrows tonight. We'll wait until morning."

The next day they covered their mouth & nose, put on gloves and threw the remaining bodies in the back of the only truck that Randy did not blow up with grenades. This was the mounted machine gun that Gene wanted before he knew that the same type vehicle had entered the back gate. Morgan was unsuccessfully trying to get the bus started not only to bring the vehicle into the park, but to give them access when they wanted to leave. Randy and Cami tossed and kicked debris from Randy's explosion out of the parking area to allow Gene and Brandon to drive the bodies down to the park entrance and toss them in with the others, now adding human to walker bodies.

Morgan got out of the bus and approached Lucky, "I don't think we'll ever get that bus started," he said. "They shot it up pretty bad. We would need a tow truck, and one designed for heavy equipment to get that thing out of there."

"Maybe we can just leave it there," Lucky said as he walked around it. "It makes a hell of a good barrier. We'll try to create our own exit, between 2 buildings perhaps with 2 wooden doors with a couple of bars across it.

"I see what you're saying," Morgan nodded. " I saw some concrete bags in one of the sheds. I could encase the frame into cement, but the problem would be a road. Only road we know of is the back entrance and we need 2 access points. If walkers should take that gate down, we need another way out and I'm not talking about driving across a field or thru the woods."

Cami overhead the conversation and came up to them, "That would mean the west side since the east side is where we hiked up the mountain. What about that logging road that ED was so keen on using? It is on the west side of the fence but it runs north and south. South should take us down to the highway where we're dumping the bodies."

At that moment Brandon and Gene came back in the truck and Lucky filled them in on their idea. "Cami, you go with Brandon and Gene back to the highway and see if you can find where that trail comes out. It may be overgrown and hard to spot at first. I don't remember seeing one, but then I wasn't looking either. And be careful," he nodded towards the woods where he saw movement. "Walkers are starting to come in from that direction again."

Cami got in the back of the truck and stood holding onto the mounted machine gun, "Damn, wish we had ammo for this thing. I'm telling you, we need to get back to that NRA house" she yelled as Gene pulled off.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FVE – 3****RD**** ENTRY:**

They had driven a mile when Cami banged 3 times on the roof of the truck. "Over there," she pointed. "See the high voltage power lines? There would be a dirt road following them and dirt bikers like to use them for fun. They must cross the highway somewhere and that would be our entrance."

The power lines crossed the highway further up but they could not see a road. They stopped the truck and got out to walk through the bushes to see if they could pick up any signs of a trail. As soon as Brandon stepped off the road he could see a ditch in front of him. "Nothing getting thru here," he said. "We wouldn't be able to cross that ditch and climb onto the road with a vehicle, especially if it had rained." He looked up to survey the area and saw a farmhouse in an open field. "Let's try that farmhouse with the barn in the back. Looks like the power lines back up to their property. Maybe access would be easier from that angle."

They drove to the driveway of the farmhouse and continued driving around to the back of the house to see if any walkers appeared. They stopped and let the truck idle while waiting but there wasn't any movement from the house and the barn door was shut. "Think we ought to check it out?" Gene asked.

Brandon shook his head, "No, maybe on the way back but finding where that gravel road leads at the park fence is our priority right now. Drive around to the back of the barn but take it easy in case there is equipment or tools hidden in this tall grass."

There was a cleared area leading from the back of the barn as if a tractor always used that route to go out to his fields. They followed it until Cami banged on the roof of the truck again. "I see it. Over to our right and its easy access from here."

They drove through some dried corn stalks with Cami guiding them as she had a better view from the back of the truck. Then suddenly they were through the wasted crop of years ago and at the site of the trail. Cami yelled for them to hold up and got out of the back. She opened Brandon's door and said, "Move over, I'm riding the rest of the way with you. The back is getting too rough for me to hold on. I'll get thrown from the truck if you hit a ditch or something."

It wasn't a bad trail although bumpy and wouldn't make for a quick get-a-way but for an emergency back-up plan it wouldn't be bad. They were encouraged as they followed it until they crossed under the wires and started driving into the forest toward the park. Then it became dense with the woods brushing up against the truck. In some places there was loose gravel making the truck slide as it tried to get traction. As the forest began to thin out again they came to an area that Brandon was not pleased with.

"This looks like a flash flood area," he said. "See those banks over there and how they've eroded? That was fast moving water that did that and the trail went through here. I can see where it picks up again on the other side. We could get trapped here in rainy season."

"We don't know if this is the right trail yet," Cami said. "Don't know if this comes out at the park where Ed was clearing land. Let's keep going. It's leading away from the power lines at this point and since we can't see any of these lines from the park we may be on that road."

After a short time they started to see walkers, then they started to see strange things in the trees. A wind-chime, a child's stuffed clown nailed to a tree, various types of shoes hung together on a rope strung between 2 trees, a Frisbee nailed loosely to a tree so it would turn with the wind, a Japanese parasol looped over a branch. They looked at each other as Gene slowed the truck down to a crawl. Without saying a word they both put their windows up.

A walker banged on his window but Gene ignored it and kept driving. They passed another wind-chime, a bicycle tire tied to a wire and swaying in the slight breeze while a walker stood watching it. A "No Trespassing" sign hung on a rope was banging against a tree; more toy dolls and stuffed animals were nailed to trees.

"Do you think the people at the house did this?" Cami whispered. "To attract the walkers back here and away from the house?"

"No," Brandon shook his head. "It's too far away from the house to be effective."

"Do you think a hermit lives back here?" Gene asked.

Again Brandon said no. "He would have looted the food at the park a long time ago." Another walker banged on Gene's window and 2 more began to bang on Cami's side. "I think you should speed up Gene. The walkers are starting to thicken here." Gene increased his speed, passing a row of umbrellas scattered in the trees, lampshades hanging by twine, colorful Christmas bulbs that were peeling and chipped from the weather. Cowbells were strung so low that the roof of the truck touched them, sending off sounds of rattles and clangs.

Suddenly Gene threw on the brakes as he saw 2 old tarps tied across the road. They were shredded from the weather of changing seasons but enough of them still existed to block their view. "I'm not driving through that" Gene said. "Could be a trap on the other side. In fact, since there are walkers coming up behind us, I would say we have already walked into a trap."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FIVE – 4****TH**** ENTRY:**

"Ordinarily I would say to get out and blow these suckers away," Cami said. "But this place creeps me out. Put it into reverse and floor it, Gene."

She didn't need to ask him twice. Gene put it into reverse to back over 4 walkers on the trail behind them. Their bodies snapped and tore apart splattering the truck with organs and slime. The truck bounced and jumped over them, throwing them around in the cab. Cami rolled down her window and leaned out to shoot 3 on her side of the road. As they backed the truck up walkers started to fill the road in front of them, following them out. When they had traveled in reserve all the way to the dried creek bed Gene was able to turn the truck around but not without fear that they would get stuck. When they finally make it back to the corn field he stopped behind the barn and wiped the sweat off his face. "What the hell was that all about Brandon? Can you figure it out?"

Brandon was deep in thought but finally shook his head, "No, it has me puzzled, but I know one thing for sure. We're not letting this go. We either need to find a way of moving the bus out of the tunnel to continue using it as our main entrance, or we need to find a 2nd access road for escape if the back fence is breached. We can't leave the vehicles loaded with supplies parked outside the entrance or it could all get stolen and then we would be left with nothing to run on. Come on, let's go back to the park. "

After the occurrence in the woods no one suggested that they stop to inspect the barn or the house. Cami was thankful that it was conveniently forgotten since she felt the whole place was cursed. She would have helped with the barn although she suspected that they would find a body hanging from the rafters. But if they wanted to search the house, it would be done without her because she did not have any intentions of setting foot across that threshold.

Once they were back on the highway Brandon asked, "Are you 2 still up for finishing this today? I say we go through the fence where Ed was clearing land and walk the trail back. No truck this time so they won't hear us coming. I don't think anyone is back there. I think whatever they were setting up has been abandoned or didn't work for them and that they are long gone. Are you with me because I'm going to walk that trail only this time it will be from the park side."

"You'll need a larger group," Cami said, not looking at him. "And you can count me out," she turned to look at him then. "I'm sorry Brandon but there was just too much voodoo going on back there. Take Roxanne, Lucky and maybe Sally."

"No," Gene shook his head. "I don't want Sally mixed up in this. Whether it's voodoo or just some sick mind, I don't want her walking into it. I'll still go with you Brandon," he said as he pulled off the highway to the park entrance, "and it's time Randy does more to earn his keep. Roxanne, I'm not so sure of."

Cami wrinkled her brow and looked over at him, "Why? You think she'll be freaked out too?"

"No," Gene shook his head. "I keep thinking of what Ed said when he showed up again. Something like, 'This is your place' or 'You own this place.' Think about it. Roxanne has been in the thick of things ever since we got here. She has never stopped fighting beside us and in fact, had to fight KC to stay alive. She & Lucky couldn't have fought off that Chen Le's all alone but she was the first one to say that we needed to go after them and attack them first. She's always leading, always raiding, always attacking and now we're going to ask her to cover our back because we have the heebie-jeebies?"

"I don't see Roxanne that way," Brandon said. "I see her as a team player when needed, but also someone who has isolated herself from the human race. She's an individual who can survive on her own and a force to be reckoned with if you invade her territory."

Cami shook her head, "You're both wrong. Now that she has hooked up with Lucky she realizes that she's still human. And will start making mistakes."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FIVE – 5****TH**** ENTRY:**

When Brandon approached the group with his idea of walking the trail he only mentioned the strange items hanging from the trees and that an accumulation of walkers forced them out. Sally thought the plan was misdirected. "That can't be the only other way out of the place," she said. "We have missed something. A park this big would have more than a front entrance and one service road. I say forget the logging trail and let's advance further into areas of the park that were destroyed and we ignored."

"I have wondered where their vegetable garden was," Morgan said. "They boasted of cooking their own home grown vegetables, but I haven't seen a field that would represent corn, tomatoes or cucumbers. Even if overgrown the signs of one should still be there."

"Maybe it's my ego," Brandon said, "but I don't like being beaten down and we were forced to abandon our search by something or someone unknown to us. It's just too close to our borders for me to ignore it."

"We don't know if it is the right road, Brandon," Cami said. "But we do know that walkers accumulate there. Why put ourselves in danger when it's unnecessary?"

"Brandon is right," Roxanne spoke up. "If we are to defend this place, make a permanent home here, we need to know what is outside all our borders. We don't need to go into the thick of the walkers, but I like the idea of following the trail from this angle to at least see if there is a connection. Morgan you, Sally and Caleb stay here. Everyone else come with me, including you Randy." Gene and Brandon passed a knowing glance after the conversation they just had in the truck about Roxanne's performance.

"I'm not going," Cami said. "Sorry Roxanne but I got a bad feeling about that place. I'll fight anyone; I'll take a stand against anyone, but my Karma tells me to stay away from that place. Besides, Morgan is not in any condition to be on his own defending this place. I'll stay and guard the home front."

Roxanne hesitated, surprised by Cami's response. "I totally believe in Karma and gut instinct, Cami" Roxanne said. "That's what got me this far. If it doesn't feel right to you, then I respect that." She turned to Lucky who had not said anything during the conversation. "What about you Mr. Secret Service man? What does your gut instinct tell you?"

"Who, me?" Lucky put his hand on his chest. "I've been taking orders from you since you first handcuffed me to ED and threw me into a shed. Don't see why I should change now." Roxanne could feel herself blushing and turned away. "Everyone get their gear and meet up at Ed's gate," she said trying to sound in control.

As they were packing extra ammo in their duffle bags Roxanne apologized to Lucky. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting to think as a group. Keep forgetting that other lives are put into jeopardy by my decisions just because I did it for so long on my own. Keep forgetting that others may want to play it safe or hide. Everyone has their own way of dealing with this new life of being hunted down as food. I should have more compassion toward others, get more opinions, and ask more questions instead of telling people what they should do."

Lucky kissed her on the neck and said, "You're doing fine. If you want to know I was in total agreement with you. We need to know what's on our borders or we could be building a home in the middle of a bad situation that we can't get out of. I would have spoken up if I had disagreed. I'm not totally Mr. Roxanne yet," he grinned as he opened the door for her.

Roxanne walked out and called for Mutt as she settled the Compound Crossbow behind her shoulder. She had elected to bring that one since it was good in tight spaces and Brandon had said that the woods thickened in places where it was almost impassable. Morgan waited at the gate to tie it back again after they went through. "How long will you be gone?" he asked.

Lucky looked up at the sky, "It'll be dark in 3 hours. We'll go 1 ½ hrs out and then back again. We may not need that much since we won't be going uphill with heavy equipment this time."

Gene turned to see the 4 of them standing at the gate watching them walk away. He tipped his hat at Sally, but he didn't feel good about this at all and wished that he had declined to go.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FIVE – 6****TH**** ENTRY:**

The 3 of them watched the group disappear into the woods. "Caleb," Morgan said, "go over to the debris piled up against that building and bring me a chair. I'm going to sit here until they get back." When Caleb brought the chair over Morgan directed him to put it beneath the shade of a tree where he sat down with a shotgun across his lap. Caleb said he would sit with him but Sally had other ideas.

"Caleb how would you like to go for a ride on the Ferris wheel?" she asked.

He jumped up, "Yes!"

"What are you talking about Sally?" Morgan asked. "That thing isn't safe and will bring in walkers."

"I'll turn off the lights and the music," she said, "but I want to stop the ride with Caleb at the top so he can scout the area. Both you and I know that we haven't found things that should be here. Some of these shrubs should be 3' but without regular maintenance they've grown 6 – 8' high. And some of the rides that have collapsed could be hiding access to other areas. Like that overhead rail that fell in on one of the craft buildings. Where did that go? I'm hoping Caleb can see something from the air that we can't see on the ground."

"Dad, let me go. Let me go. I can do this," Caleb begged.

Morgan looked from one to the other and finally nodded his head. "It goes against my better judgment but if we can find another way out of here it will reduce the danger. I don't like them going off into those woods after describing what they saw."

As Caleb settled into the car Sally laughed and said, "Well I guess I don't need to ask you if you're afraid of heights. I'll try to ease you up OK, so I don't jerk you to a stop at the top but you might want to hold on to the frame so you won't swing too much." She should have practiced before putting Caleb in because it started with such a jerk that he almost fell out before leaving the ground.

"Whoa Sally," Caleb squealed. "Take it easy." She got the hang of it after that and let him go around a few times as she slowly adjusted the manual controls. "OK Caleb," she called out as he passed her, "I'm going to stop it this time. Get ready." She smiled to herself as she stopped it so smoothly that the car hardly swung at all. She stepped back so she could see him and shaded her eyes against the sun.

Caleb looked around to get his bearings of the layout of the park and thought he could see a cleared area with more buildings, but couldn't make out what it was. He stood up to get a better view and used the cowboy hat he had found in wardrobe to shade his eyes. Morgan could see this from where he was sitting and made the sign of the cross. "Dear Lord", he whispered. "Please make him sit down."

"Do you see anything Caleb?" Sally yelled up to him. Caleb could hear her yelling but couldn't understand the words. He wished he had brought the field glasses with him to get a better view. Thinking that she may be ready to start the Ferris again he gave her a wave and sat down. When he reached the bottom and got out she asked, "Well?"

"There's definitely another area but I couldn't tell how to get there. Didn't see a road, or path because the trees blocked my view between here and there. Maybe that overhead rail took people into that area."

They started walking back to Morgan. "What did it look like?" Sally asked.

"It….well it looked like a mining shaft."

"Mining," she nodded. "That would make sense in these hills. Maybe a mock mine for the kids to practice sifting for gold."

"I think I found Dad's vegetable garden too. In one cleared area I could see bushes with something red scattered in them. Tomatoes maybe?"

When they approached Morgan Cami had already joined him. "You are not going up on that thing again," Morgan said. "Or if you do, I don't want to know about it. I almost had a heart attack."

Caleb relayed to them what he had seen. "The best I can tell is that the Craftsmen Section is the closest but there's a section of forest between the two. I'm sure you don't go outside the park but I couldn't tell how you get into that section." Caleb would have liked to ride his dirt bike over to the Craftsmen Section but since the 2 woman went with him he patiently walked along beside them.

Sally went directly to the building that the overhead rail cars had collapsed into. "I'm convinced it's this section. The bushes have swallowed up the fence in this area and you can no longer see it. I think they have grown together hiding what could be a gate back there. Or, "she pointed, "It's behind the wreckage. Anyone for climbing over?"

"Wait up," Cami said as she stood looking up at a sign. The top two arrows pointed to Restrooms. The 3rd sign down pointed to the Craftsman area but the last 2 arrows were covered in vines that had grown up the pole. She walked over and used her steel shaft to hook under the vines and pull them away. They were resistant but after several tries she was able to uncover enough to tell which way the arrows were pointing.

"Beaver Creek" "Coal Mine" Both arrows were pointing behind the wreckage. "Well Sally, looks like you were right."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FIVE – 7****TH**** ENTRY:**

Lucky dropped behind to let Brandon lead the way. It was actually nice in the woods with the birds singing and a slight breeze blowing. He touched Roxanne's arm in a signal for her to slow down too. After Gene and Randy passed them he said in a low voice, "I think you're pushing yourself too hard, Roxanne. Would it have done me any good to mention this in the cabin?"

She shook her head, "Don't get all protective on me." She didn't look at him but kept her eyes on Mutt who was running back and forth to the front of the group. It appeared that Mutt was completely at ease and was actually frolicking. She thought that Mutt had missed being a dog and having fun instead of constantly being on point for danger as people had been forced to do the same.

"You went directly from the attack on us, to kill….." "To climbing up the mountain, to attacking Chen Le. Your arm hasn't completely healed from KC and now you have stitches in that same shoulder. That arm is weak now and you bring the crossbow. How do you expect to use that stirrup to load the arrow?"

Roxanne knew why he had paused in mid-sentence. He had meant to say "to killing Ed" and had skipped over it. "I feel fine, I don't have a fever. I'll use the gun if the walkers thicken. I only brought the Crossbow in case silence is of the essence. Lucky, honest to God I can't have you getting all wimpy on me. I always go by gut instinct and if you have me questioning that you'll only confuse the issue. No one can afford to be confused in this world." To soften her words she reached over and caressed his neck while walking.

They were just coming to a clearing when they saw Brandon hold up his hand and signal them to stop. They saw him dart behind a tree and everyone did the same. Mutt stood in the middle of the trail looking at everyone taking cover, and then trotted over to Roxanne. Lucky kept low and caught up with Brandon where he could see a torn and rotten tarp on the other side of the clearing strung across the trail ahead. "That's what we approached from the other side," Brandon said. "That's where all the walkers had accumulated. Why haven't we seen walkers on this side of the clearing?"

Lucky could see symbols painted on some of the trees. "I know that symbol," he said. "Some believe it is an ancient voodoo symbol for Protection. Did you see anything that could have been the remnant of a hermit's cabin?"

Brandon shook his head, "No, but we were mesmerized by the articles in the trees and then busy hauling ass." At that moment Lucky saw movement at the tarp as if something was hitting it on the other side when a walker broke through and then immediately disappeared. At first they thought it had fallen but it had entirely disappeared from view and they did not see it get back up again and tall weeds prohibited them from seeing the ground on that side.

Roxanne came up to them and Lucky told her to stay in place where she could see the tarp. He signaled Randy and Gene to follow the tree line to their left and to not go into the clearing. He and Brandon would circle to their right. Before anyone could move another walker broke through the tarp and it too disappeared as if it had fallen.

Brandon and Lucky had circled half of the clearing when Lucky noticed that many of the trees on this side were also marked with symbols. He could see Randy and Gene in the distance also half way around the clearing. He signaled for them to stop and then he began to look up into the trees behind him. He saw more symbols on the trunks and started to cautiously follow them deeper into the woods until he saw a tree with planks nailed into the trunk. He looked up to see the remnants of a treehouse. "What the hell?" Brandon said behind him.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FIVE – 8****TH**** ENTRY:**

"I don't think anyone is living there now," Lucky said. "The planks are old and haven't been replaced but I'm going to try it. Go back and signal Gene & Randy to circle back to Roxanne. I think we have found a puzzle to the mystery."

The planks weren't very wide. It appeared to have been built for a lighter person, perhaps a child or woman. He made sure he was always holding onto a branch in case one gave way under his weight. He was ready to grab the floor of the treehouse when he heard the unmistakable groans of a walker. He pulled his knife out and held it in his teeth waiting to see if a walker appeared above.

He listened but could not detect any movement on the rotting floorboards so he pulled himself up in order to see over the floor. There wasn't much left of the walker, not being able to feed for a long time and animals had begun to feed on it. By the long grey hair it appeared to have been an old woman. There were still jars on the shelves that hadn't collapsed and a few books now dried and brittle. She was holding a journal or diary wrapped in plastic and although Lucky knew she was nodding at him because she wanted to kill him, he felt she was also nodding for him to take the package. Her head was the only part of her that could still move since her legs, arms and torso were no longer functional.

He heard Brandon return and call out to him. He climbed one more plank to be able to lean into the treehouse and grab her leg. Then he pulled her toward him, hoping the body wouldn't separate until he could get the journal. Her legs were now dangling over the floor as she continued to growl at him. He took the knife out of his teeth and leaned in to stab her skull which immediately shattered. He almost lost his footing with the gesture but was able to grab the book. He turned to look down at Brandon and dropped the book for him to catch.

Climbing down he was able to use more of the branches than the planks and made it down to the forest bed with just scratches. They went back to the group and he explained what he had found in the treehouse. "I think this journal will explain everything but I'm sure she is the one who set up the strange tree decorations you found on the other side."

"I would expect this type of voodoo in Louisiana but not Tennessee," Gene said. "But how do you explain walkers disappearing when they come thru the tarp? Did she put a spell on that spot? If she did then I'm the first one for reading that book to find out how" he laughed nervously.

"No, but there is definitely something dangerous about that spot," Lucky said. I'm not going to waste any more time circling around. We need to start back soon so I'm going to crawl out into the clearing and take a look. Everyone stay here," he looked at Roxanne. "And I mean everyone."

He got down on his belly and started to crawl out into the clearing. When he had gone only 15' he looked back, "Oh, and if I should disappear don't come looking for me." He had meant it as a joke but no one laughed.

"Jez," Gene said. "I have never been this scared and I have faced a lot of strange things since the world fell apart."

"I've already pissed my pants," Randy said. "I can't tell you how glad I was when you signaled us to come back, Brandon."

They saw Lucky part the tall grass that was growing on the other side of the clearing and crawl into it. "I don't like this," Roxanne said looking down at Mutt. He was looking at Lucky then back to her again as if she should follow him. "I don't like losing sight of him. We don't know what's in there but we know walkers aren't coming out again." She started to get up but Brandon grabbed her wrist and stopped her. She looked at him and touched the hilt of her knife. Brandon raised his eyebrows to give her a questionable look when Randy shouted. "There he is!"

Lucky was standing up beckoning for them to approach. "It's a good thing you didn't drive through that tarp," he said as they all looked down into the abbess. It wasn't that big but it would definitely swallow a car or truck. They could not see the bottom, could not see any walkers below nor hear that any were still alive.

"What the hell is it?" Randy asked.

"It's either an underground mine that has caved in or a cavern," Lucky said. "These hills are filled with both." Mutt started to growl and pull at Roxanne's sleeve to back her away from the hole. Walkers had heard them talking and began to come through the tarp only to fall into darkness.

"If we had driven into that you would have never found us," Gene said. "Would never have known what happened to us. Whether we were alive or dead. Gives me the chills."

Roxanne noticed that the surrounding woods were filling with walkers who hadn't followed the trail but were coming toward the sound of their voices. "Guys, we've got company." Everyone looked up to see that they were slowly being circled by walkers from both the left and right side of the clearing.

"Come on, I've had it with this place," Gene said. "Let's just make a run for it. I'm anxious to get back to my wife and tell her how much I love her."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FIVE – 9****TH**** ENTRY:**

Morgan stood up when he saw Mutt break from the woods at a run. Mutt barked twice and Morgan began to anxiously untie the cords from the fence. He had never heard Mutt bark and was very afraid for the group since Mutt had learned that barking would attract walkers. He opened the gate but Mutt stopped and turned toward the tree line, watching, whining. Morgan went through the gate and began to jog toward the trail but stopped when he saw Randy and Gene break through the foliage, soon to be followed by Roxanne, Lucky and Brandon. He could tell that they had been running for a long time. They were exhausted and barely able to keep pace with one another, their legs growing heavier with each step. Randy was dragging his rifle and Gene was holding his chest gasping for breath.

He ran up to Gene and put his arm around Gene's chest to help support him. "Jesus, what happened back there? Are you alright?"

Gene nodded, "Yeah, just need to rest. We'll have walkers tonight. Better move a vehicle up against this part of the fence." They continued to walk together when he looked up to see Caleb, Cami and Sally come up to the fence. As soon as Sally saw Morgan helping Gene she made a run for it, afraid that he had been bitten or seriously hurt.

When Morgan saw the fear in her face he waved her down and called out, "He's OK. Just been running." She caught up with them and Morgan moved away to let Sally put her arms around him. "You old fool," she cried. "What are you doing running to push yourself to this point?"

"50 is not old. I just haven't run for that long a distance."

"It's OK Sally," Randy said. "We've lost them behind we just didn't want to slow down very often to take a break and allow them to catch up again. But once they start in a direction they keep going that way so they will probably show up tonight."

Sally looked behind her at the others and asked, "How many are there?"

They had reached the fence and Brandon grabbed it to steady himself, "We don't know. Stragglers mostly, but they were circling from 2 different directions and if they join up to continue this way, we could have another herd of 100. We were hoping that if we got far enough ahead of them that perhaps something would make them change direction again."

After checking the fence that night and killing only a small group of 4 through the fence, Cami walked back to the Admin Bldg. to inform the group that so far their fears had not turned into reality. She saw Brandon sitting on a bench outside the window of the meeting room with a gas light reading the journal. "Find anything helpful," she asked as she sat down beside him.

He shook his head and closed the book, "No, sad really. She was part of the family at the farm and describes watching her loved ones die. When it was down to just the couple of her married granddaughter she hatched this plan. Suicidal really. Think she sacrificed herself. She remembered the treehouse that her children used to play in and the sink hole that had opened up in the last year. She was convinced that the devil had opened that hole to let out disease and pestilence in the form of walkers. So the solution, in her mind, was to lure the walkers back there but I think she really wanted to keep them away from the farm and her granddaughter. With the help of her remaining family they nailed and tied all those things to the trees and she actually took up residence in the treehouse. She would go out on the trail every day to lead them to the pit. Looks like she did pretty good for an old lady because she lived in that tree for 4 months. Journal gets crazy toward the end. I think walkers had her pinned up in that tree and that she starved to death."

They looked out into the night and didn't say anything, lost in their own thoughts of what families have been through once faced with the ZA world. Finally Brandon dropped his voice and said "I'm worried about Roxanne." Cami had never heard such sadness in his voice and she turned to look at him. "I thought she had become a team member but now I'm not so sure. I'm afraid she may be going down the same road as KC."

Cami was shocked to hear this then Brandon explained how Roxanne had almost pulled a knife on him in the woods. She listened to the circumstance and then chuckled. "Roxanne was just protecting her man. All women have a beast in us, Brandon. It's just that most of society has never seen it until now. When it comes to our children or our man in danger, women will stop at nothing to protect them. Roxanne has never had that rage swell up in her because she's never had anyone to love. I'm sure the gesture of putting her hand on her knife even surprised her. You have nothing to fear from Roxanne. No comparison at all to KC. KC was bat-shit crazy from the start."

"Then how do you explain ED?" Brandon asked.

"What about Ed?"

"I saw how the back of his skull was crushed. Do you know how hard it is to smash the human skull with your bare hands? When we were leaving to climb the mountain she barely glanced down at his body and then just stepped over him to continue walking."

"That's the same thing, Brandon" Cami answered. "To me it was proof that we are her team, her loved ones and that she would kill to protect us. Ed brought that wrath down on us, was a traitor and she felt responsible. Shit, he was her husband for God's sake and he set us up, set her up." They were both silent as Cami remembered the scene. "I will admit though that the vengeance was brutal, different from when she was forced to kill KC. With KC Roxanne cried knowing she had to kill her. With Ed….I didn't think she was going to stop."

"Do you think we should watch her?"

"I do not."

"Do you think I should ask Lucky to watch her?"

Cami turned to Brandon, "Do NOT go there with Lucky. Do not approach him on the subject of ED. I saw his face. He was in a state of shock and I've never seen Lucky look like that."

"He could be sleeping with the devil," Brandon said.

"He can tame the devil."

"I'm not sure even Lucky can touch the darkness that surrounds Roxanne's heart."

"You have let that journal depress you. We have nothing to fear from Roxanne."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FIVE – 10****TH**** ENTRY:**

Gene had asked for everyone to have breakfast at 6:30 the next morning for a meeting. Sally had rabbit, goose eggs and stewed tomatoes ready in the cafeteria. They were a sorry looking bunch with Sally's patched face, Morgan's arm in a sling and Roxanne with bandages on both her arm and shoulder. She insisted that she did not need the shoulder patch but Sally was more concerned about infection putting a person down than a walker bite. Mutt always came to meals with them and Roxanne would feed him part of her meal. Sometimes she would open a can of spam just for him and no one minded. They all felt that Mutt was an essential part of the group. Unknown to her Sally was doing the same when Mutt sought her out. He was well fed and no one knew they were being conned by a dog that had also learned survival in a ZA.

"I wanted us to meet because Chen Le's visit changed our daily habits and priorities and we have so much to do. I don't like spreading people out and want to get everyone's idea on how we proceed from here. We all know that the bus is pretty much a permanent staple blocking the entrance. That leaves only 1 exit at the back. The fences were cut and we have only temporarily repaired them. We can't move Chen Le's truck inside the compound unless we drive around to the back entrance to bring it in. That's a 10 mile trek and we don't know what's in those 10 miles.

Also, do we need to change our spotters at night? Since the front entrance is so well secured do we need to watch it anymore? Should we change to guarding the back gate and the fence that was cut? We could also construct a new barrier. Move some of our vehicles to the circle in front and construct a new barrier down on the road where you turn into the park. Something that we can open so we have access in and out to the circle, going through the bus with our supplies like we were doing."

"I don't like the idea of blocking the entrance down on the highway," Sally said. "We need more people and constructing a barrier would prevent them from getting to us."

"I didn't see any people Sally," Randy said. "And I was out there alone for a long time. I was beginning to think I was the last person alive. I think everybody has found their own place by now and has hunkered down, fortifying it the way we have. No one is on the road anymore."

"Still, I would like to leave that option open," she said. "I would hate to think someone needed help and we didn't know about it."

"Caleb tells us that he has discovered a part of the park that we were unaware of," Gene continued. He looked over at Caleb who tried to remain cool but couldn't help beaming with pride. "Problem is that a ride has collapsed there and certainly can't be moved manually. We could take some of the trucks and hook chains to them and try to drag parts of it out, at least so we can explore the area for another access road. If there is one, then we can concentrate on clearing more. Does everyone agree to make that our priority?"

Everyone agreed except for Cami who remained silent.

"Alright, what about changing our guard at night? Should we do so?"

"I don't think the front entrance is as crucial as in the past," Brandon spoke up. "The bodies we dumped down by the road seem to be deterring the Walkers from coming up that way. They are still accumulating from the logger side and at the back gate and I think we should make that our point of concentration. We can hear any vehicle making the grade to the front entrance or anyone dicking around with the bus. We can still make a check, I just don't think it should be our major point right now. It's the most secure place we have on the park."

"I don't want anyone walking out to the back entrance," Lucky spoke up. "It's too far for someone to run back to give us a heads up if something goes wrong back there and they can't take Chen Le's truck or Roxanne's car because its holding up the fence. Take one of the vehicles and drive it up to the bike tunnel and walk through the Zoo. No one will hear you approach from that angle."

"Alright," Gene continued. "Does everyone agree with that and changing our guard positions?"

Everyone agreed but again Cami remained silent.

"This last point, I know no one wants to hear it but it should be addressed. We need to set up meeting sites in case the place should be overrun and we are scattered. Those who make it out the back gate could go to Chen Le's hold up. I realize that most of it is blown to pieces, but it's just a check point until we can regroup. Those who go out the front entrance or the logging gate should go to the farmhouse where the old lady lived. We still need to check that place out but….I don't think anyone is up for that right now. And for God's sake, if you're on the logging road remember to go around that clearing. Lucky how long do you think someone should stay at these places waiting for the rest of the group?"

Lucky hesitated then answered, "I would say 2 days in case someone is hurt it will give them time to catch up. And they may be in a place where they need to hide for 6 – 8 hours. None of the places are far so after 2 days you need to make a decision to move on."

"Move on to where?" Morgan asked.

Lucky shrugged. "If I was on the run again I'd try to make it to the S. Carolina shore. Maybe find a marina where I can get a boat to drop anchor out in the river at night so I can sleep without fear of a Walker. Maybe just so I can watch the sun come up over the ocean and remember how things used to be." Everyone went quiet in the room. No one wanted to think of running again or of being separated from the group and forced to live alone.

Finally Gene broke the silence, "Cami, you haven't said anything. Do you have any ideas that you want to discuss?"

"Yeah. We need to get back to that NRA house" and everyone started to laugh.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FIVE – 11****TH**** ENTRY:**

They brought the trucks around to the area that Caleb had lead them to and stood looking at the damage.

"Think it would be easier if we used a blow torch on some of it to break it up into smaller pieces," Lucky said. "It's all one mangled mess as it is. Caleb, you're sure the entrance is behind that?" Caleb pointed up to the sign post. "Beaver Creek. Maybe the duck ponds are being fed by that creek," Lucky said. "Morgan do you know how to use a blow torch?"

"I was mainly into pouring cement and setting bricks into mortar, but I watched some of the guys on the job using one," Morgan said. "This is something that Ed was good at, but I'll drive back and see what I can find."

While he was gone Randy and Gene connected a chain to one of the crossbeams and the hitch on the truck. Brandon warned everyone to fall back to a distance since the beam could snap and the pile could shift. He raced the motor as far as he dared without doing damage to the truck transmission, but the steel beam only moved slightly. It was enough to loosen the pile and a few pieces on the top of the mound fell in on itself, settling further down into the center.

He turned off the motor and Roxanne walked up. "Has anyone crawled over the stuff to see what's on the other side? That one portion of the tracks that is sticking up, I think is up against the top of the fence. If I crawl up there I can see if there's an easier way to get in."

"Roxanne," Lucky said, "that stuff is too dangerous to crawl over. The broken steel is sharp, there are bolts and nails sticking out and it could shift on you burying you under it." She stood eyeing the wreckage then took her rifle from behind her shoulder and said, "Here, hold this."

"Damn you Roxanne," he shouted as she walked away. "Damn you all to hell and your stubbornness." He kicked the sign post and then limped on one foot, regretting the action.

It wasn't a tall climb, only 20' but it was maneuvering around and under parts of the wreckage that was tedious. They could hear the squeal of steel as it settled under her weight and the "pings" of a few pieces dropping off below onto the concrete. Mutt started trotting back and forth looking up at Roxanne, anxious to find a spot where he could follow her. Lucky knelt down beside him and spoke words of comfort to him.

Roxanne stopped at one point and looked down. When they saw her freeze they thought perhaps she saw a body under the wreckage. "There's a Timber Rattlesnake down below. I'm not in danger but be prepared if he decides to make a run for it and comes your way. Keep Mutt away." She reached the top of the tracks that had settled above the fence and adjoining buildings. It teetered as her weight shifted its balance and she flatted against it to stabilize it again.

She looked to both her left and right but seemed to be studying the right side the most toward the area that the sign identified as the Craftsmen Area. At that point Morgan drove up and got out of the truck with Caleb. He saw Roxanne at the top of the mound and walked over to Lucky, "What the hell is she doing?" Lucky just shook his head and said, "Just being Roxanne."

While still flattened again the tracks Roxanne looked back at Lucky and asked, "Can you throw my staff over to the other side? I'm going over." Lucky muttered under his breath, tired of arguing with her and refusing to do it in front of others. This was a discussion that they needed to have in private. He picked up the shaft, balanced it in his fist, pumped it twice to limber up his arm and threw it as high and as hard as he could. It easily cleared the area and disappeared from view.

"Great shot," Roxanne called out. "Go to your right to that 3rd building down there and inspect the inside. Looks like the fence is partially down behind it but I can't tell from here. I'll use the staff to knock on the wall. If you don't hear me then I have the wrong building. I'll keep calling out to you. OK, going down." They watched as she slid belly over on the tracks and grabbed a beam sticking up, then she stepped on something out of their view and with a slight hesitation she disappeared.

Mutt started to whine at Lucky's feet when he saw Roxanne disappear, "Come on Mutt. Let's go find her". Everyone followed the path to the 3rd bldg. where Lucky kicked down the door, more out of frustration than for any other reason. It looked as if it had been a weavers shop with rolls of wool, ribbons, thread and a spinning wheel. Lucky immediately went to the back wall but Sally was captivated by the wares. Most were dry rotted and no longer of any use but she thought the needles could come in handy.

Lucky banged on the wall, "Roxanne, are you back there?" He waited without getting an answer and then banged again, "ROXANNE?"

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER FIVE – 12****TH**** ENTRY:**

"Tap, tap", finally Lucky heard a response from Roxanne. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes, but there are snakes back here. I hate snakes," she said. "OK, listen up. This is the building you need to take down. Forget about the collapsed ride. We can drive thru here into a grassy area and then on a wide sidewalk that leads down to the area that Caleb saw. Behind this wall is a fence but it's in disrepair and only the bushes are holding it up. You can use the truck to tear the wall out, the truck to tear the bushes out and to tear the fence off. Do you hear me?" she yelled.

"Yes, we hear you," Lucky turned to look at Brandon. "Think the truck can do that?"

Brandon tested some of the beams and walls with his hands and saw that it was a very frail building. He smiled and said, "I think I can take the whole building down just by driving through it. It will remind me of my younger days in demolition derby. Better tell her to stand back."

"OK," Roxanne answered. "There are some picnic tables back here. I'll go sit on one to get my legs out of the tall grass. I don't see any walkers in this section. Looks like it has its own fenced-in borders."

Caleb approached Morgan, "Dad, when you were getting the blow torch I put some crackers and dried cereal into a baggie for myself. Wish there was some way I could get it to Roxanne since she is sitting there all alone. Would you let me climb the debris? I'm lighter than her. I should be OK."

"No way," Morgan said standing with his arms crossed watching Brandon getting in the truck. He pulled Caleb away and said, "Why don't you send it to her by Bow & Arrow?"

"Huh?"

"It's in a plastic bag, right? Attach it to an arrow and shoot it across," Morgan said casually as Brandon drove into the building with a huge crash. He shook his head and thought, 'white people'.

Caleb started laughing, "Dad, an arrow needs to be perfectly balanced. You can't tie stuff and things to it."

Morgan watched Brandon back out of the storefront with the sides of the building crashing in on the truck. He then turned the truck around so Gene and Lucky could wrap a chain around one of the hedges and attach it to the trailer hitch. "Doesn't need to go far and doesn't need to hit a target. Just needs to go up and then come back down again. Doesn't need to look pretty either, just needs to get over to the other side. Let's write her a note and put it in the plastic."

Lucky was not concerned about getting the truck or any vehicle into the other section of the park today. He just wanted to reach Roxanne so everyone could explore the area together. Sometimes he thought that she had a death wish when death was surrounding them all the time. Did she want punishment for killing KC and Ed? Could she not live with it and was putting on a front of stability? He knew she was a decision maker and fearless in many ways but this was an unnecessary risk and foolish when there were other solutions.

Roxanne was sitting on the picnic table drinking water when she thought someone had thrown a rock from the other side. With a soft 'thump' it landed just inside the fence. Then she saw the feather of an arrow and went over to pick it up. She chuckled when she opened the plastic and read Caleb's note that said, "Thought you may be hungry."

"Thank you Caleb," she yelled out but as she turned she caught movement coming over the hill. She froze to see the head of a walker coming up over the rise. She reached for her rifle but only felt a bare shoulder, forgetting that she had given it to Lucky. She tapped her back pocket and as always her pickaxe was there. She glanced over to the picnic table to see her staff leaning against it and made a run for it. She was not going to yell out and frighten everyone. She would take care of it herself but she had been with a group for so long that she had forgotten the feeling of vulnerability at being alone. 'I can do this', she thought and wondered why she needed to convince herself.

She circled and backed out of the tall grass to lure him to the sidewalk where she would get better footing for a kick to the groin. She waited in her stance until he was 3' away and was about to kick him when a shot rang out and the walkers head blew apart. She let her breath out, not realizing that she had been holding it and looked over to see Lucky standing inside the fence, his arm still raised with the gun in his hand.

END OF CHAPTER FIVE.


	6. Chapter 6

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER SIX – 1****ST**** ENTRY**:

Their passion that night was of such a beautiful and tender union that Roxanne was overwhelmed. She had never had a man adore her body as Lucky has just done, cherishing every moment that their bodies touched, wanting to continuously touch her even in rest. She knew that part of it had to do with the walker event earlier that day and how it had affected her, changed her to be able to give and receive this type of love.

When she had looked up to see Lucky standing there with the gun in his hand after shooting the walker she was flooded with relief. At first the feeling had confused her because she knew how to fight walkers, knew she had the confidence and experience to do so successfully. And then she realized that it was the relief of knowing that someone was there for her, someone to protect her if she could not protect herself. Someone who would fight for her if she could not fight for herself. Someone who would still love her on those days that she may not like herself and the things she had done to survive. She had looked at him standing there and suddenly everything changed.

When Lucky walked up to her in the grassy area he had intentions of showing his wrath, his anger at her foolishness of climbing the debris and putting herself in a situation of being alone. But as he drew closer to her he saw a change come over Roxanne. He saw her relax the staff almost as if it was too heavy for her, then he looked up into her eyes and saw that she was seeing him differently. 'At last,' he thought. 'At last she has come to me.' He stopped before her and touched her cheek, smiling at her. She reached up and held his hand there when Gene yelled out, "Are there more? Are you OK Roxanne?" and broke the spell between them.

Lucky was also overwhelmed that night and wanted nothing more than to stay awake all night touching her. Their first night together had been a tender union but he was never confident of the relationship. He didn't know if he was a 'throw away' to Roxanne as she seemed to discard people as part of the ZA process of losing people along the way. She was a passionate woman and had given her body to him but he did not think he had reached the darkness in her soul. Tonight was different and they both knew it.

Lucky had brought in 2 buckets of water because the night was warm without a breeze and the room could become hot since the cabin did not have a tree to provide shade from the sun. He had put candles in the room which added to the heat. On occasion one of them would get up to pour water over their body, towel off and then get back in bed again.

Several times he wanted to speak to her but when he looked into her eyes her lips always seemed to become his focal point and the process would begin again. He waited a few times to see if she would begin a conversation but she would snuggle into his arm running her hands over him and he wanted nothing more than to take her again.

The next morning he was lying in bed with his arms behind his head watching her dress. He watched as she put her battle gear on and saw her disposition start to change as she added each piece. Watched the boots go on, the gun belt go across her hips and she appeared to stand taller. Watched her add the axe to her back pants loop and saw the previous night's softness leave her. He watched her put the knife into the sheath and strap it on, the rawhide placed across her forehead and all femininity was gone.

She picked up her staff and stood at the foot of the bed. "Get up. We have that back lot to check out today." Then she turned and walked out of the bedroom. He smiled and looked at the ceiling. Mutt came to the doorway and gave him a 'woof'. Lucky threw his legs over the side of the bed and said, "Alright. I don't need 2 dictators giving me orders today."

Roxanne heard the remark from the living room and smiled. "Come Mutt. I don't think we are needed here".

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER SIX – 2****ND**** ENTRY:**

They had not made a full search of the new area after they broke through the fence and Lucky had killed the walker that was approaching Roxanne. They did not see more walkers but if any came through the Weavers Stall that Brandon had torn down the group was still well fortified behind their own barrier. The next day everyone followed the sidewalk in the new section down the hill to Beaver Creek and saw the Coal Mine on the other side. It looked as if small boats took people across the creek but they were sure that a service road had to be on this side.

Their vehicles could easily travel over this terrain without getting stuck and could be placed at the fence where they had broken through. Those cars would be closer to the Admin bldg. and not as far away as Roxanne's car at the back gate. They were comfortable with the possibility of having 2 exits again although both would be at the north end of the park. They were sure whatever service road they found that it would connect to the same road Chen Le had housed on, just exiting further north.

"This is a long walk," Morgan said as everyone walked into the sunlight of the open field.

"As soon as we clear the debris from the floor of the Weavers Stall then we can start driving down here," Sally said. "When Brandon drove into the building those walls just collapsed in on itself. I wouldn't attempt to drive over them like that. Too many nails for us to even be walking over it, but if we all pitch in we should have it cleared today."

They stayed out of the tall grass and kept to the sidewalk to go down the hill toward the creek. The morning was still cool but the days were getting hotter as they entered mid-Summer. Mutt spotted a rabbit in the grass and took off after it until Roxanne called him back. "Stay on the sidewalk Mutt. I don't want you in that tall grass since I saw snakes yesterday. "

"Timber Rattlesnakes are very docile, Roxanne," Brandon said. "Pets are bitten because they corner them. And even then the snake may strike but not release any venom because their venom is very special to their food source and they don't see us as food."

"I picked up some antivenin when we went to the Feed Store and Vet's" Sally said. "It is supposed to be refrigerated but in an emergency I would triple the dosage and keep my fingers crossed."

"Just the same", Roxanne said, "I wouldn't want to wait to see if Mutt reacts from a bite or from venom.

They arrived at the pond and looked across the creek at the mock mine shaft. "I'm not going in there," Randy said. "We don't know where that walker came from yesterday and there could be a nest of them in there."

Lucky looked at the overturned boats on the shore and tested their hauls. "These still look in good shape." Then he looked into the creek and said, "Trout. OK, know where I'll be spending my time."

"Here it is! I found it!" Caleb yelled out. They turned to see him standing uphill but could not see any sign of a service road. "Where?" Morgan asked. Caleb took a side step and disappeared behind the hedges growing along the fence line, then took a step back and reappeared again. He giggled and ran into the foliage and suddenly came out the other side. They were confused since they could not see any road, gate or break in the fence. It appeared as if he was running in and out of a solid barrier.

As they walked closer they realized that it was a camouflage hedge standing away from the gate to hide it from the general public. From a distance it looked like part of the fence but was actually a well-designed disguise to hide unsightly views. There was a gap of 12' between the camouflage and the real fence, enough room for a service truck to restock cokes and water in the machines or a catering company to set up food in the snack bar where BBQ was served.

The gate was ajar and squeaked when Lucky tested it but was still in working order. "Morgan, could you get some oil for this so we won't be detected if we need to sneak out at night? I think this is how our walker got in. Since there was only 1 walker this may be a safer road than the service road where Roxanne's car is parked. That gate always has 5 – 6 walkers at it in the morning. We just need to find out where this comes out."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER SIX – 3****RD**** ENTRY:**

By that evening they had the Weaver's debris cleared that Brandon had caused when he smashed into the building with his truck. They checked the ground closely for any nails or bolts that could puncture a tire and swept the ground clean. They completely removed the 8' portion of the fence that was dividing the 2 sections of the park and decided that there was no need to replace it. On this day Lucky, Brandon, Roxanne and Caleb were going on their first test run in the SUV, across the field to the mine and to the service road. It was the first time that Morgan had let Caleb go on one of these runs but he was comfortable in letting Caleb go since it wasn't a supply run and they just wanted to find out where the service road came out. They were sure that it would access Rte. 40 north of where Chen Le's house was and if they turned south on Rte. 40 they should come to the service road where Roxanne had stashed her car.

The SUV didn't have any trouble using the sidewalk and easily accessed the service road. The road was crumbling and would get worse over time but it wasn't a hard drive. After a mile they saw an intersection ahead and Lucky said, "Alright! Here we go, Rte. 40. We'll go north this time." But as the front tires of the SUV hit the pavement of Rte. 40 Lucky threw on the breaks. "Oh, Jesus."

Everyone was quiet as they sat there, not believing their eyes. To the south the road was blocked with walkers. They spilled out from the road filling the woods on both sides. To the north they encountered the same sight, walkers so thick that they were shoulder to shoulder. Some would bump into the walker next to them as they shifted on legs that were becoming weaker without food. The woods to the north were also filled with walkers.

"I was afraid of this," Roxanne said in awe. "A sea of walkers. We could never fight this. It looks like a whole city's population. I wonder if they have already turned down the service road to the back gate." Lucky pulled the SUV onto the highway so he could turn around and go back, knowing that they would be followed but there was nowhere else to go, nowhere to hide from a herd that huge. They would be swallowed by it.

"Will the fences hold?" Caleb asked, his voice filled with fear and panic.

"For a short time Caleb" Brandon answered. "Enough time for us to get away but it is not the best of circumstances to evacuate. If they are at the back gate, and I'm certain that they are, then that leaves the one vehicle at the front entrance. We only use that for runs and it is not stocked. It will also only carry 4 people."

Lucky raced as fast as he could but the road was falling apart as he drove over it. "But we have ammo now," Caleb said. "And grenades and…..and….the bazooka! Cami will want to use those. That should take out a lot of them."

"We concentrated our efforts on loading the truck with ammo for our guns and rifles at the NRA residence," Lucky said. "We only brought a small amount of ammo for Cami's toys and that was used on Chen Le." There was silence as they remembered how Cami kept insisting on going back to the NRA house. "We had good plans," Lucky continued. "Just not enough time to put them into place. Never checked out that farmhouse to see if there was a car, nor did we stock it as a meeting place in case we became separated. We will only be able to drive a car as far as the cavern and will need to abandon it and go on foot the rest of the way. The walkers are coming from the north and east. That leaves going west or south for us. Damn! There was still so much to do!"

They pulled into the park again and Brandon got out to shut the gate. They did not have chains or a lock for it, but he pulled the latch shut hoping it would stall the walkers. Lucky got out and turned the small boats over that were stacked at Beaver Creek and set them afloat. "What was that all about?" Roxanne asked when he got back in the truck. "Hoping they will float down Beaver Creek to Yellow Jacket Creek which we can access off of Rte. 321 near Pigeon Forge. If all the roads are clogged we may be forced to use the waterways."

Everyone knew that something was drastically wrong when Lucky drove up in a cloud of dust to the front of the admin bldg. He got out to address the stunned group and said, "We have less than 2 hours to evacuate."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 6 – 4****TH**** ENTRY:**

"But why can't we just hide and let them pass?" Sally asked. "All this food? We can't pack all this up and I hate leaving it."

"And all this ammo," Cami said. "We can't pack all that up either and I'm not leaving it."

"Both of you please listen to me," Lucky said. "Sally, I'm not talking about 100 walkers, I'm talking a whole city of them. If we hid in the Admin bldg. and remained quiet so they didn't hear us, they would still starve us out. There isn't enough food to wait out this herd because only 50% of them will move on. The rest will get distracted by something and stay, or will get to the bus and stop and wander around for ages, or will get hung up on something and there will always be stragglers coming in, the ones who fell behind. This herd will OWN this place. It's not ours anymore."

"And you, Cami," Lucky turned to face her. "There isn't enough ammo to kill them. All we would be doing is letting them get closer until they surround us. As of right now," he turned to the group, "they haven't seen us in here, only on the road and it changed their direction. We still have time to get out unseen so they will not follow us."

"Gene you, Sally, Morgan and Caleb get your things, as much food as you can, as much ammo as you can and take the small truck out front. It will only carry 4. Me, Roxanne, Brandon, Cami and Randy will put as much as we can into the truck parked at Ed's fence and take the logging road. I hope that the truck can thread around the trees in the forest to avoid the cavern and climb the embankment on the other side of the clearing so we can reach the farmhouse. Gene you will meet us there. Be careful since we haven't checked out the farmhouse but once we meet up we will decide what to do. If we aren't there in an hour after you then unload some of the equipment and use the logging road to come looking for us. If we get stuck we may need to transfer food and ammo over to your truck."

"I'm not going," Cami said. They all stopped and looked at her. "Don't worry, I'm not committing suicide but I'm not leaving this ammo behind. I'm loading as much as I can and driving to the new entrance we created at the demolished building. That's where you expect them to come in since they detoured to follow you. I can slow them down from entering from that direction and give you more time. If I can't take it with me then I'll use it and catch up with you. I'll take Caleb's dirt bike."

"Cami, that doesn't make sense," Lucky said. You have not been on that road. You don't know where the cavern is and could drive into it."

"I'll come with you Cami," Randy spoke up. "There are still 6 grenades left and I can break up a herd real fast with that. Between Cami and I we could do some serious damage." Everyone was surprised to hear this from Randy since he had been in favor of abandoning The Park to Chen Le. "Plus I know the logging trail and where that clearing is. We can take the truck that Cami plans on driving to the new exit and once our ammo is gone I'll drive us back to the logging road. It'll work." He smiled.

At that moment they heard a siren go off in the distance. "What the hell," Morgan said.

"It's the alarm on the car that I parked at the back gate," Roxanne said. "We were afraid that part of the herd had already found the service road. Looks like they broke through the fence and we don't have 2 hours after all."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 6 – 5****TH**** ENTRY:**

Everyone scattered at that point. Time was precious and each person had their own task. The truck assigned to Gene never had extra supplies in it since it was parked at the front entrance where anyone could access it and steal the supplies. They used it basically for runs outside of the Park and would take only what they needed for that run. Since the truck that Lucky intended to use was stocked they concentrated on helping Gene and his crew add supplies to the truck outside the front entrance. But all this took time running back and forth.

Lucky saw Cami and Randy drive off behind the Admin building and knew that she was going to carry out her intentions of trying to slow the herd. What he had not had a chance to explain was that she would be boxed in if she sat at the newly demolished Weavers Hut. The walkers coming in from the service entrance would circle around and come up behind her, especially when they heard gunfire.

As Gene, Sally, Morgan and Caleb got in the truck Lucky said, "Remember, give us an hour and then come looking for us. You're only a mile away from the farmhouse and will be using a good highway. But we will be on bad terrain and meeting up with stray walkers, that is if that group of walkers hasn't increased too."

Cami drove to the new entrance that they had made by the demolished ride and pulled the truck up to face the open field where the mine was located. The field was already wall to wall walkers that had advanced half way across the field. "Jesus," Randy said, "I thought they had exaggerated. I hadn't expected it to be this thick. Maybe they're right Cami. Maybe this isn't a good idea after all. I forgot about that ring of trees giving shade to the picnic tables. I can't lob the grenades over those trees but if I wait until they advance past the trees, they'll be awfully close Cami."

"You just keep handing me ammunition when I call for it," Cami said. "Let's get in the back and I'll show you what I need. As I'm reloading you throw your grenades. Just use your own judgment and do the best you can Randy."

Roxanne nervously worked on detaching the wires from the fence Ed had cut while Lucky and Brandon took the opportunity to throw more things in the back. Lucky threw in both their duffle bags as Roxanne untangled the last of the wire. She told Mutt to get in front, not wanting him to ride in the back of the truck and the 3 of them piled in with him. She did not see any walkers behind them and felt that they had not been seen and would not be followed. They were approaching the tree line when they heard explosions and rapid gunfire.

Cami knew that she could not take the time for a head shot. There were just too many of them. She emptied the machine gun into them and although some went down most were just jerked around as they were riddled with bullets. She reloaded again and again while Randy threw grenades. He was more effective than her, blowing whole walkers apart and clearing small areas which were soon filled with more walkers from the back of the herd. Due to the noise that they were making Randy did not notice the walkers behind them until the truck began to shake.

"Oh My God, Cami!" he screamed. He pulled out the shotgun and started blowing away the walkers as they reached for him. As each walker fell another stepped over it and advanced with the pack pushing forward toward the truck. When his shotgun emptied he pulled out his pistol, "Cami, what are we going to do? We're surrounded, we're SURROUNDED!"

Cami turned around and grabbed his arm, "Get on the roof of the truck. Grab that overhang," she pointed up to it, "from the collapsed ride and climb over to the other side. Take Caleb's dirt bike and go by the logging trail."

Randy climbed on the roof of the cab and yelled, "But what about you?"

"I'll meet up with you. Get going NOW!" She quickly reloaded and began firing down at the walkers who had now surrounded the truck on all sides. The truck shook from side to side as they pressed against it, reaching out toward Cami who was trying to stay in the middle of the truck bed so they couldn't reach her legs.

Randy reached for the overhead pillar and swung himself into the wreckage. It tittered but he maintained his balance. He climbed over a few of the seats attached to the ride and looked back. The walkers had climbed over one another to reach Cami and had her by the legs. She tried kicking them off and continued to shoot into the crowd but they pulled her legs out from under her and she went down with a bang on the truck bed. She tossed the empty machine gun aside and rolled over to pull her pistol out and continued to fire at those attempting to bite her legs. Since her focus was on her feet she did not notice that walkers had climbed over each other on the other side of the truck. They grabbed her shoulders and used them as a means of pulling themselves into the bed of the truck.

Randy started to cry as he turned back to his climbing and heard Cami's cylinder click on empty. She never screamed, she never yelled which Randy was thankful for, but he wish he hadn't looked back.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 6 – 6****TH**** ENTRY:**

Lucky stopped the truck at the end of the trail and scanned the opposite bank of the clearing looking for a break in the forest. "I don't remember the woods being this thick on the other side."

"Neither do I," Brandon said. "I don't see a place where we could drive the truck through to get around that cavern. There isn't enough room between the trees for the truck to be able to clear them. Not even if we smashed the side view mirrors off could we fit between any of those trees."

"I've seen 3 walkers come through the tarp and drop out of sight since we've been sitting here," Roxanne said. " They are accumulating in this direction toward all the noise at The Park." The sounds were in the far distance but they could hear gunfire and explosions and knew that Cami and Randy were still fighting.

"We'll need to abandon the truck," Lucky said turning off the motor. "We'll have Gene drive down to the edge and we'll transfer all the equipment over to his truck. Take only what is necessary, don't weight yourself down with a lot of heavy equipment. Brandon, how far is the farmhouse from here?"

"We have another half mile to run but once we clear these woods we'll cross a dried creek bed and we didn't see any walkers on the other side of that so we should be able to slow down and catch our breath at that point."

Everyone got out and began to gather their things from the back of the truck. Roxanne elected to take her duffle bag, crossbow and rifle which she could throw over her shoulders while leaving her hands free for her axe and pistol. "Mutt, stay close. We're running this time, not fighting so don't stop to draw anything away." Mutt was panting when he looked up at her knowing that this time was different from the usual 'sneak & peek' that they did on the road together.

They 3 of them looked at each other, nodded and started to jog to the left of the clearing through the forest. They were almost completely around the clearing when they started running into walkers headed toward The Park. They tried to run around as many as they could but were often forced to use their knives. If 2 or 3 walkers were bunched up or it was too difficult to get around them then they would draw their pistol and shoo. This was not a situation of clearing out walkers, this was a situation of getting to a designated point as quickly as possible and to outrun any who were attracted by gunshots. Sometimes Mutt would run ahead and then come back to jump against Roxanne's side indicating that she should alter her course to either the left or right. The groundcover in the forest did not help with vines tripping them up or slipping on a hidden wet branch.

By the time they cleared the forest they were winded and each of them had emptied at least one of the guns they carried. They stopped to catch their breath and to reload. From this distance they could no longer hear noise from the park and did not know what was happening there. "I'm surprised that Gene hasn't come down from the farmhouse by now," Lucky said.

"It'll be easier from here on," Brandon said. "The road will be alternating between sand and a hard surface going through grassy fields and corn fields." They finished reloading and drank some water from their duffle bags. Then threw everything across their shoulders again and started walking. They did not see any walkers in their path but knew that many were behind and following them. The sun had become hot in the open fields without any shade but especially in the corn field where it seemed as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the air. By the time they came out of the corn field behind the barn they were in a full sweat with their hair sticking to their faces and their shirts plastered to their bodies.

"I don't see the car," Roxanne said.

"Let's check around front," Lucky said. "Gene should have been here by now. It's only a mile away by the highway. You don't think he got lost, do you Brandon?"

"No. Gene drove the car back to the Park from here. I know we were all spooked by the forest, but it's the first farmhouse you meet after leaving the Park. I'll check the barn to see if he parked in there."

"Don't bother," Lucky said. "I don't see any fresh tracks leading to the barn." They reached the front of the house which faced down the drive toward the highway. Lucky looked at the yard and said, "In fact, I don't see any fresh tracks anywhere.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 6 – 7****TH**** ENTRY:**

Randy was able to climb across the collapsed ride that Roxanne had once scaled and lowers himself to a point that the walkers wouldn't see him. They were distracted by what the other walkers were feeding on and it was that activity which consumed them. They did not notice what was happening in Randy's area.

He flattened himself against the other building and slowly stepped sideways until he could round the corner, then he ran as fast as he could to where he knew Caleb parked his dirt bike. He was hoping that he could catch up with Roxanne, Lucky and Brandon before they left the park since he hadn't see any walkers on that side from his view on top of the collapsed ride. He was almost out of breath when he reached the bike and managed to get it started but he over accelerated and almost fell off as the bike lurched forward with a big jump. His hands were badly shaking and he was in such a high state of panic that he was afraid he would lose his grip on the handlebars. He was driving over things at such a high speed that often his legs flew out from under him, but he managed to stay on.

He reached Ed's gate and when he saw that the truck was gone he started to cry but he never hesitated and drove through the gate. "You FOOL!" he screamed at himself. "You stupid, stupid fool." He tried to wipe the tears so he could see the trail better but the sight of watching Cami die kept coming back to him. Finally he caught sight of the tail end of the truck and was overwhelmed with glee and then just as disillusioned when he saw that it was empty.

He stopped the dirt bike beside the truck and stood on the running board to look into the cab. "No, no, no," he whispered, wiping more tears away. Then he looked in the back and saw that it was fully loaded with equipment and that someone had thrown in his duffle bag. He grabbed it and then opened a box of ammo and reloaded his gun putting the rest of the box in his shirt pocket. He took a rifle and made sure it was loaded then put extra bullets in his duffle bag.

As an afterthought he grabbed Roxanne's staff. He knew hers among the 3 staff's in the truck because she had painted hers black. She said it was to camouflage it to keep the sun or moonlight from flashing on it and giving her position away. He hadn't expected to see the truck here at all since it was their plan to go around the cavern and access the trail from the woods but he was even more surprised that Roxanne had left her staff behind. Then it occurred to him that they were coming back and that gave him some encouragement that he would still meet up with them.

He threw everything across his shoulder and laid the point of the staff over the crossbar and the back of the staff across his knee. He knew he would have a hard time balancing but it seemed important that he take it with him. He started the dirt bike and began to circle the clearing, going through the woods. The bike was not handling this section well, getting caught in vines growing along the ground or fallen branches caught in its wheels. He felt that he was going at a crawl. Then he entered the section behind the tarp and saw the walkers.

He couldn't drive and shoot at the same time so he would stop and shoot a few walkers in his path and then drive a few more yards to do the same all over again. But the number of walkers was growing thicker and when the bike became caught up in a vine and stalled he knew he would need to make a run for it. His pistol was empty and he did not have time to reload so he pulled the rifle forward and continued on foot through the forest. He wanted to get back on the trail which would be easier to use but the walker traffic had populated that area of least resistance.

He managed to get off 2 shots when a group of walkers approached him but he tripped over a vine and fell. Almost immediately a walker was on him. He used the rifle to block the bite and roll the walker off of him, but as he was standing a walker came from behind and bit him on the shoulder. He screamed out and hit the walker with the butt of the rifle making it stumble away from him tearing a good portion of his shoulder with it. He picked up Roxanne's staff and began running again.

He knew he was going to die and cried hysterically as he ran. He was blinded by his tears and often stumbled but was determined to go on and reach the farmhouse. If nothing else, he could deliver the weapons and ammo and perhaps it would save someone's life. He hadn't been able to save Cami and he knew he would not go quietly like her. He would go out screaming for someone to shoot him.

He finally cleared the woods and entered the grassy area that he knew would lead to the corn field. He turned around and began to scream, "No…, No" as he emptied the rifle on the walkers coming out of the forest.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 6 – 8****TH**** ENTRY: **

Roxanne, Lucky and Brandon had checked the barn to see if it contained a car left by the owners, but it was empty. They did not break into the house because their duffle bags would not hold any more food or equipment and they were carrying as many weapons as they could. They were standing on the porch of the farmhouse watching the highway for Gene, nervous and apprehensive when they heard gunshots in the distance. Roxanne became excited, "It's Cami and Randy! They got through," and she started to run toward the barn.

Lucky and Brandon followed, Lucky shouting, "I don't think so Roxanne. Those are gunshots from one gun, one person." But Roxanne continued to run into the corn field drawing her weapon with Mutt fast on her heels. Whoever it was, they needed help and the farmhouse had been assigned for stragglers to meet up. She had considered the 3 of them to be the stragglers left behind but when she heard the gunshots it gave her encouragement that they were not alone.

She came out of the corn field to see Randy struggling on the dirt road and saw the blood pouring from his shoulder. She hoped that he had fallen off the dirt bike and had hurt himself and that it was not a bite. She ran to him and grabbed him to keep him from falling while Lucky ran up to relieve Randy of his equipment and Brandon grabbed Randy's other arm. Lucky looked over his shoulder and scanned the forest edge in the distance to see that walkers were beginning to emerge.

"I've been bitten. I'm going to die and I don't want to be one of them," Randy cried hysterically. "Put me in the barn, shoot me and then lock the doors. I don't want them eating my body." They walked him into the corn field and he looked up at Roxanne and smiled. "I brought your staff, Roxanne. I knew you would want it. I did good, huh? I did good?"

"Yes, Randy. You did good," she said gently.

"What about Cami?" Brandon asked.

Randy shook his head, "No, she went down under them. Never screamed, never called out, never yelled, and just kept shooting until her gun was empty" he continued to sob.

They lead him into the barn with Roxanne and Brandon still holding his arms as he sank down on his knees. Mutt did not enter and stayed at the barn door watching. Roxanne said, "Randy you helped us many times, especially with the Chen Le attack and"… BLAM!...suddenly the back of Randy's head blew off splattering both her and Brandon with blood and brain matter . Roxanne screamed out, dropping Randy's arm as Brandon did the same and both backed away. She looked up at Lucky who was still holding the gun on Randy's body.

"Jesus, Lucky!" Brandon yelled out.

Lucky holstered his gun and answered, "It was best that he didn't know when it was coming."

"Well you could at least have let us step away," Brandon said, "given us a signal or something."

"There are walkers coming out of the forest," Lucky said. "We haven't much time. We can't wait for Gene any longer. We need to get our gear and cross the highway into the corn field over there. We need to get out of sight before the walkers see us and follow. Come on," he turned to the barn door where he had dropped Randy's equipment.

Roxanne and Brandon looked at each other and then back at Randy's body, both still in a state of shock. "NOW", Lucky yelled. "MOVE IT!" They came out of the barn to pick up the gear and Lucky closed the doors, putting the wood beam across the handles in hopes of keeping the walkers out.

As they walked toward the front porch to gather the rest of their belongings Lucky was giving them his plans. "The walkers were coming from the North and East. That means we go west and try to stay between Knoxville and Chattanooga. If it gets bad we may need to turn south into Georgia."

They picked up their gear and knew it was too much and too heavy to make good time with so much strapped on their back. They walked down the dirt driveway and crossed the highway into another corn patch that sucked oxygen out of the air, the sun already hot on their heads.

No one spoke of what had just happened but Roxanne briefly looked down the highway once more hoping to see Gene before she left the highway and entered the unknown future.

END OF CHAPTER SIX.


	7. Chapter 7

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 7 – 1****ST**** ENTRY:**

They concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other without purpose of direction taking the path of least resistance. Their clothes were torn and ragged, caked in dried mud from the last bog they had crossed. They smelled of the swamp but would not wash again until the next rain. They did not have plans or a destination or a purpose except for food. They had eaten squirrel, rabbits, snake, muskrat and even rats that had accumulated in an abandoned warehouse. Their eyes were void of any emotion; love, hate, hope or thoughts of the past or future. They did not know where they were nor did they care. They did not speak except for the girl who would whisper to her dog at night when she held him.

Mutt knew that he would need to leave them soon since he could provide for himself better than they could provide for him. He knew they were hungry as he was and so had not begged needlessly. He had watched his master deteriorate and knew that if he stayed much longer that he would be watching her die. They sat down to rest and Mutt put his head on Roxanne's knee. She sighed and tenderly put her hand on his head. "Good boy," she whispered.

Lucky looked up to see the two of them together and thought that if he had just one bullet left that he would kill himself with it. Roxanne was now a shell of her former self, as they all were and yet it was Roxanne who was keeping them alive with her crossbow. Everyone had deep cuts and scratches that would not heal due to malnutrition and were now beginning to develop oozing sores. Mutts coat was tangled, matted with burrs, small twigs and leaves when he had once been so regal. It appeared that the world was devoid of food, any kind and all kinds of food except for the wild. They ran out of ammo only 3 weeks after leaving The Park and it was Roxanne's improving skill with the Crossbow that was keeping them fed with what little animals they came across. But still, meals were few and far between.

Lucky hated seeing them like this and took it as a failure on his part. It was his plan that everyone had followed and for once Roxanne had let him take control. As the weeks, months passed she started saying less and less never interjecting a comment, suggestion or formulating a plan. There was nothing in her eyes anymore. She had gone somewhere far, far away in her mind after he started using her as bait when they came across a small group of men. The strategy had been successful at first until hunger caused them to miscalculate the number of men unseen in the forest. In the end it had been Mutt who had saved Roxanne from the final act of rape while he and Brandon were frozen, unable to come up with a backup plan.

Brandon had fallen into the same routine as Roxanne. When Lucky stood up, they did. When Lucky walked they followed him. The only time they left him alone was when they entered a home or store looking for food then they would separate and trash the place in desperation like teenagers on crack. If a walker came into the room someone would eventually kill it while the others continued searching, ignoring the commotion behind them.

They no longer touched and had long ago ceased being lovers since their life of trying to exist did not allow for it. Roxanne slept with Mutt by her side and sometimes when he saw her run her hands over the dog Lucky remembered how they had once caressed him. His heart ached seeing her like this so he had taught himself not to see her at all. He imagined her as just his own shadow following behind him and any food she caught was something that had dropped from heaven.

He stood up, which was an effort in itself and knew that Roxanne must be weaker than he but it was best to keep moving. Toward what and where was unknown but if you kept moving you could avoid the memories of better times. Brandon and Roxanne also stood up, Roxanne using the tree trunk and her staff to help support her. The black paint on the staff was now chipped and peeling, the end no longer sharp nor serving its original purpose. But it was a thing from the past that she had not discarded yet and hung on to.

They had been walking for some time when Brandon passed Roxanne on the trail. He usually stayed behind her but this time he was keeping his head down to watch his footing since lately he seemed to trip over the smallest vine or branch in his path. He continued on when a memory tried to seep into his brain, a memory of importance, of long ago, a memory about Roxanne. No, no it wasn't Roxanne it was something someone said about her. Who? Caleb, yes that was it. What was it he had said? Something along the lines of "she seems to hear things before others do." Brandon suddenly stopped and looked back.

Roxanne was looking off into the distance, downhill and away from them. Mutt was not alert, in fact was standing there looking at her questionably. She did not have her crossbow at ready so she didn't see a squirrel. Brandon looked downhill but did not see anything. When he saw Roxanne turn to her left and walk away from them he turned back to Lucky and gave out a whistle. It was a soft, weak whistle, but it attracted Lucky's attention although he had advanced far ahead of them. When Lucky looked back Brandon pointed at Roxanne who was disappearing into the timber. After Lucky came back to join him they waited for a short time then ,without speaking, they began to follow in Roxanne's direction.

It took them awhile before they picked up the sound of water lapping against a bank. And another sound, one that Brandon associated with a Marina as a boat hit against a wooden wharf. They broke through the timber to see that a riverboat had broken its lines and had drifted into an old rotten wharf that was not designed to hold such a large vessel. Roxanne was already boarding it. They saw her search the deck for something and then she put a board across to the wharf so Mutt could cross over. She turned and without looking back they both disappeared below deck.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 7 – 2****ND**** ENTRY:**

Roxanne went straight to the galley and saw that the cupboards were open and canned goods were rolling around on the floor. This vessel had been tossed around on the river quite a few times to cause the latches to break open on the cabinets. She picked up a can of corned beef and opened it with the key attached. She dumped it out on the floor for Mutt to eat but he looked up at her with a soft 'woof'. Roxanne reached down and took a handful of the hash and stuffed it into her mouth. Only then would Mutt eat, satisfied that she was sharing and not sacrificing. She began putting cans of food into her duffle bag and then opened the refrigerator to find bottles of water. She found a cup that hadn't been broken and poured Mutt half of the water and had drank the other half when Brandon & Lucky walked in. She grabbed a bag of stale Dorito's and left the room to explore more of the boat.

It wasn't a large riverboat and appeared to be designed for small parties of poker games. The chairs in the poker room were overturned and thrown about but the tables were bolted to the floor and remained in place. She looked behind the bar and found an overturned bottle of Kahlua that hadn't been opened and took that with her, tucking it under her arm as she ate the Doritos and walked around. She could hear the men in the galley opening and slamming cupboard doors so she walked out on the deck and began to circle the boat.

The boat was tilted only slightly having run aground in shallow water at the wharf. She enjoyed listening to the water lapping up against the haul as she shared her Doritos with Mutt. Since she had never been on a boat before each door she opened was an adventure to her. One door opened onto a hallway with 2 doors on each side. She finished her Doritos and propped her duffle bag against the door because the hallway was dim without sunlight penetrating into the area and she did not want to be trapped in a small space where she could not fight.

She told Mutt to stay, laid the bottle of Kahlua on top of her duffle bag, took her knife in one hand and the axe in the other and slowly proceeded down the hallway. Two of the rooms consisted of bunk beds, perhaps for the staff; the other 2 rooms had full size beds with a dresser and sink. She did not bother searching any of them since her stomach was trying to reject what it had not received in so long. She had learned that if she hadn't eaten for several days that the next food she consumed must be eaten slowly or her stomach would try to throw it back at her. It could not digest a large amount at once after not having any for so long.

She went back to get her duffle bag and used an old shirt to tie the door back to allow circulation in the hall. She motioned Mutt to her and went back to one of the rooms with the bunks, throwing her bag against that door to hold it open. She kicked at the bunk then pounded on the pillow and mattress to make sure mice had not taken up residence then sat down and opened the bottle of Kahlua. She took a swallow and shook her head at the thickness of it. Then she quickly drank ¼ of the bottle and laid back. Mutt came over and lay down on the floor next to the bunk facing the door in case anyone should come in.

The sun was starting to set when Lucky saw the door tied open with one of Roxanne's old shirts. The hallway was dark by then and he could not see the doors on each side. He did not know where the hall led to or how far it extended but he knew that Roxanne had entered thru here. He lit a kerosene lamp that he had found onboard, drew his knife and slowly entered taking one step at a time. As he proceeded he saw another door that was held open with her duffle bag and cautiously peered inside while holding the lamp high.

Mutt saw him and sat up with a soft "woof." Lucky would have liked to take the upper bunk but Mutt had not been as friendly toward him of late. And besides, he didn't think he had the strength to climb up there anyway. But he stood there watching Roxanne not having seen her sleep so soundly in a long time. Then he noticed the bottle of booze dangling from her hand, clutching it like she clutched her knife when she slept. Her other arm was thrown over her face and her legs were not on the bed. He stepped forward with the intention of lifting her legs onto the bed, but Mutt stood up and took a step toward him. He did not growl but Lucky felt that it was only out of respect for the past and not for the present. Lucky backed out of the room and decided that he would sleep in the poker room where he had windows and wouldn't feel so boxed in. Roxanne's choice of room did not have a porthole or any means of escape. He worried that Roxanne was starting to lose her edge and was getting sloppy.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 7 – 3****RD**** ENTRY**

Roxanne woke with a sudden jerk out of a dream or nightmare and hit her head on the bunk above her. She put her hand to her head and looked around, feeling for her knife and realized that it was still in its sheath. "What in the world….?" It was dark and she hadn't remembered to bring candles with her but she heard a soft "woof" and knew that Mutt was there with her. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she saw a faint light that outlined her doorway and knew that she was in a small room. Then she remembered the boat. She got up and walked to the doorway and saw that it was dawn and the sun was rising. She could see enough light now to go out onto the deck and walk over to the wharf side of the boat.

Roxanne stood looking at the water as the sun rose behind her and knew that she was facing west. The birds started chirping to join the sounds of crickets and frogs. Mutt appeared at her feet and nudged her. "You need to do your business Mutt? Just jump over to the wharf and go back to shore." Mutt whined and nudged the plank at Roxanne's feet with his nose. "It's a simple jump Mutt." Then the sunlight moved around to where she could see Mutt's face and his pleading eyes. "Oh…..oh, poor baby." She picked up the plank and slid it across to the wharf. "Poor sweetheart, you're just as weak as we are."

She watched him cross the plank and trot toward shore and suddenly the horror of it all hit her. She put her hand to her mouth trying to hold off the cries and tears but knew she would not be successful this time. As she continued to watch Mutt she thought of all the dangers they had faced during the last months and Mutt had always been there to fight with them. She thought of the people who they did not help, people who they stole from, the constant cries of people facing death and the continuous walker moans that haunted them.

She didn't have a group to protect anymore; knew that both Brandon and Lucky could take care of themselves and all she had to do was to take care of a dog and had been a failure at it. She was devastated by what they had become. They were of less stature than Mutt, scratching in the dirt for worms, eating wild mushrooms not knowing if they were poisonous but too hungry to care if it killed them. Ransacking homes like an animal that had been caught in a trap and has panicked.

When Brandon stepped out of the casino he saw Roxanne standing with bowed head and her hands covering her face, her shoulders were shaking and he knew she was crying. He looked up to see Mutt on the banks following the scent of something that interested him. Brandon had never seen Roxanne cry but he wasn't surprised that it took a dog to break her. He walked up and took her in his arms and held her close to him. He wrapped his arms as tight as possible in case she tried to brave it out on her own and attempted to pull away from him. But Roxanne didn't resist, instead her cries became harder and she put her head against his shoulder.

"It's a good place, Roxanne. It'll get better," but her cries turned into sobs which had her whole body shaking and he did not know if it was an attempt to control the sobs or from the emotion of letting them out. Her knees started to buckle so he went down on his knees with her still keeping her in a gridlock within his arms. Finally he loosened his hold turning it into one of tenderness and put a hand to her head. "It's a good place, Roxanne," he said again. "I can feel a difference here on this boat and you lead us to it. You felt it too. It called to you."

She started to calm after that. He waited until she let out a big sigh and gently pushed herself away from him. She smiled at him, a rarity these days and said, "Yes, it did, didn't' it? Perhaps you are right. Perhaps our luck is changing." She looked out at the water, "Perhaps the blackness will leave our hearts here" she whispered.

Unknown to them Lucky had been standing at the patio doors watching and had overheard the conversation. He had never seen Roxanne like that, had never seen her cry except for teardrops of passion. This had been a breakdown, a complete destruction of the past months and a rebuilding again, right before his eyes. He felt that it had been his fault that he hadn't planned better, hadn't protected her better, hadn't provided better and had made decisions that went against her morals. He had misjudged her strength to cope after seeing the methods in which she had killed KC and Ed. He thought that she had hardened to death, could easily inflict death upon others and as a result of his miscalculation he had asked too much of her, expected too much of her while on their journey. He had once met a beautiful woman capable of providing for herself, making her own decisions, fighting her own battles and he had reduced her to a meltdown. He couldn't stand to watch anymore and quietly stepped back into the shadows.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 7 – 4****TH**** ENTRY:**

Brandon and Roxanne stood at the railing looking out over the water. "Is this the Tennessee or the Mississippi?" Roxanne asked.

"Don't think we're on a river; think it's a channel to one of them though."

"Do you know anything about boats? I've never been on one?"

"Not really. Had a boss once who owned a boathouse and would invite employees and their families sometimes. He let me pilot it for a short time. "

"Families?" Roxanne turned to him. She had never heard him speak of one and had never asked. In the past she had never wanted to know anyone's story because it always ended in death. Everyone was on the road because of death and destruction and the stories were always the same.

Brandon looked down and was quiet, then softly said, "Let's not go there, Roxanne." Roxanne turned and looked back toward the wharf. "Wish Mutt would return."

After a pause Brandon confessed "I don't know if it's real anymore, Roxanne. I mean I have these dreams about a family and I'm pretty sure I lived the life that I remember. But at other times I wonder if I'm in an insane asylum and I'm pretending that there are creatures called "walkers" out there who killed my family. That maybe I killed them and went insane afterward and that I'm locked up in a padded cell somewhere. Lately, I've been having awful nightmares and wake up confused only to see that I'm trapped in a different nightmare that I live every day."

"So have I Brandon. I dream that I am ….sharing with someone but their face is always missing. It appears to be a normal day with normal activities of the past. You know, getting ready for work, but then it changes into shooting and cooking your dinner as if that is normal. And hanging a picture on the wall except that blood begins to drip from it and the whole time this faceless person is with me. I wake up not knowing if I just dreamt of the devil or if the face is blurred because I will kill that person one day. Like you, I wonder if I'm already insane and locked up somewhere."

They were both quiet and then she added, "I think it may have been those mushrooms we ate a couple of days ago." At this Brandon began to laugh and turned to see Mutt trotting up the wharf. "Come here you bad guy," she called out. "I need to give you breakfast."

"What are you 2 doing standing out here?" Lucky said. They turned to see him come out of the poker room with his duffle bag over his shoulder. "It's past dawn already. We need to get a move on."

"To where?" Brandon asked. Lucky just stood there, unable to give him an answer and looking confused.

"Lucky, we been moving for so long that you no longer know how to stop," Roxanne said. "We've passed up too many places already. Places where we could have rested for 3 days to a week before moving on again. But each day we would move on and I never understood why, I just did it. It had become a habit with us, in fact we let the 'need to move' obsess us. It's time to stop and formulate a plan. This is a good place, this barge."

"BARGE?" Brandon expelled. "Please Roxanne; she has a name although I haven't looked for it yet. But please do not insult her by calling her a barge. We need to talk to her lovingly if we want her to cooperate."

"What are you 2 talking about?" Lucky asked. "This place is not stable. The first storm that comes along she'll sink. She's already tilting and none of us know anything about boats. If you want to rest we can stay a couple of days but I think we should keep moving."

"If I can get it running," Brandon said, "we can cruise the shoreline. Go in to the Marinas, cottages, summer homes to forage. We can drop anchor at night to be safe from walkers and cruise by day."

"Do you even know where the anchor is?" Lucky asked.

"No. But I am going to have fun finding out. Now, if you'll excuse me I am going to enjoy a breakfast which is a feast that we haven't had in a long time, even if it's just a can of boiled potatoes. But first, I'm going to wade out into the water to take this stink off me. I'm too weak to swim out but for one day, one DAMN day I am going to feel normal again." With that Brandon crossed the plank to the wharf and began to take his shirt off as he approached shallow water closer to shore.

Lucky looked at Roxanne, "Do you agree with him? This is foolish. No one knows how to operate a boat."

Roxanne crossed her arms and leaned against the railing, "All I can tell you Lucky, is that it feels right. This is a good place. It….called to me. You can say that's crazy but I'm calling it intuition, which I have neglected for a long time. I want to give Brandon a try at this and will help him as much as I can. I think this barge….this riverboat is important to Brandon in the same way that The Park was important to me."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 7 – 5****TH**** ENTRY:**

They accomplished very little in the first 3 days on "Jennie". Brandon had seen the name of the paddle boat while sitting on shore. "I don't think it was part of a chain of riverboats because it wouldn't carry a single name. This was someone's private source of income, but if it's here then there must be small towns and Marina's along the banks. I can practice piloting it within the channel and we can hit those places as a supply run. Maybe we are on a lake, hell I don't know where we are."

Their bodies kept demanding sleep, only allowing them 3 – 4 hours before shutting down again and demanding rest. Roxanne had found some first aid supplies and their deep cuts, scratches and sores were starting to heal. She discovered some clothes in the bunk rooms and they threw away the worst of their clothing, keeping only those pieces that would last a little longer. The clothes were too big for them since they had lost so much weight. One bunk room had a brush and comb and Roxanne decided to use the comb for herself but the brush would be Mutts. If they should leave this place she would pack it in her duffle bag. She swore that she would never let Mutt become that tattered again no matter how tired and hungry they were. Mutt resisted the brushing at first but once she had him cleaned up she felt that he really loved it and was just being stubborn.

Lucky had grudgingly given them this time but secretly Roxanne felt that he finally realized how necessary this rest period was. On the 3rd day she walked into the Galley to see that Lucky had all the canned goods spread out on the table. Brandon was standing in the corner drinking the last bottle of Pepsi which he had tried to chill by putting it in the river. "At this rate we need to ration more," Lucky was saying. "We should cut back from 2 meals a day to just one. The days are getting shorter and the nights are cooler. I think we may be into October and that means we can't cover as many miles because of early darkness. We need to start building up our supplies again since there will be less wildlife to kill in the winter."

"I'm pretty much ready in the next day or two to give Jenny a try," Brandon said. "She has both a gas motor and a manual motor. Gas tank is empty but if I can turn the axle manually then the paddlewheels will move. From there it will be the water propelling through the wheels to keep it going. The faster the water is moving the faster Jenny will run. Her paddles right now are lodged on the bottom of the riverbed, but I found a handle that raises and lowers them. If I can get them raised and we can push her off shore then I'll lower the paddles again and try the crank on the axle."

"And if you can't get the axle to turn," Lucky said, "then we are adrift."

Brandon shrugged his shoulders and drank the last of the Pepsi, "That's pretty much what will happen. I don't mind being adrift. She'll just run aground somewhere else and we can start all over again from there. We're always starting all over again from somewhere so what difference does it make?"

Roxanne reached into a tall cabinet and turned to slam a fishing rod down on the table. "Here's one solution to rations," she said. She looked at Lucky, "I remember when you looked at the boats at Beaver Creek and said you would be spending your time fishing there. So go to work. Me? I found a hammer and I'm going to find a rock and use it to sharpen my staff again, pound it back down into a point again. Tomorrow Mutt and I are going to walk the shoreline and look for cottages. This wharf was here for a reason although I don't see a home. It could have burned down or been destroyed in a Hurricane but there should be others."

She walked to the door and then turned once more, "Maybe I'll find some frogs and snakes to eat." She looked up at Brandon and smiled, "but I don't think I'll pick any mushrooms."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 7 – 6****TH**** ENTRY**

The next day Mutt and Roxanne actually went into the timber and did not walk the shoreline. She was pleased with the new sharp point on her staff but knew that she needed to find another knife and axe. The ones she had were so blunt that it took too much effort on her part to be effective against a walker. She hated to give them up since she had them with her before leaving Ed, but they no longer served their purpose.

She stayed within the timber at a point where she could still see the shoreline, but did not want to expose her presence in the open on the river bank. Strawberry and blueberry seasons were over and she did not know what would be ripe for picking in October. Pumpkins? She didn't expect to find any of those. Mutt kept sniffing the ground but wasn't picking up the scent of anything or anyone.

She saw another wharf extending into the water but all that was left on land was the foundation of a home. She began to wonder if this was a housing project that never got off the ground with wharves and foundations put in to attract buyers to build their own home. Further down she found a cottage with part of the roof gone and one side tilting dangerously. She stayed in the shelter of the timber watching the house, but Mutt did not given any indication that danger was near. He appeared to be completely relaxed but she approached cautiously with her staff ready.

She went to the side of the house still standing and peered into the window. It would not be a good place to take shelter unless it was from the rain and only on a temporary basis. The place was trashed inside with chairs and furniture turned over. She could see a waterline on the walls and knew that the place had been flooded. Unfortunately it looked like the side that caved in was over the kitchen and could not be reached. There were some overturned cabinets in what once had been the living room and she wanted to search those, but could not find a way in that would be safe. After circling the building she hoped that the bottom of the front door was rotted enough that she could kick it in and crawl under it. It was jammed too tightly against the frame work and had swollen making it impossible to move.

Her kicking was successful in shattering the wood but after kicking it once or twice she always turned and surveyed the area to see if the noise was attracting walkers. She told Mutt to stay and got down on her belly to pull herself in, taking her staff with her. Since the room consisted of both a daybed and some living room furniture she assumed that this was served as both a bedroom and social area. That would leave just the kitchen and a bath. She tried glancing into what she thought was the kitchen but the remaining roof and walls were already moving from the wind and she did not want to get trapped under it if it fell in.

She searched the one upstanding dresser but it only contained moldy clothes and some personal pictures that she did not want to see. She no longer wanted to see families of the world before or of happy events of long ago. That world was gone now and only brought pain.

One of the overturned cabinets contained steel cutlery but the riverboat had steak knives that would serve a better purpose. Then she pulled out a warped velvet box approximately 12" long and opened it to find soggy tissue paper. She went to wipe it away and immediately cut her finger on something sharp so she took her time after that.

The dagger was beautiful; something a collector would have displaying an ivory handle with images carved into it. Although the place had been flooded the blade was not rusted, in fact it glinted when she held it to the sunlight. She took her old knife out of its sheath and tried the new one, practicing a few times to draw the dagger from its new home. She suddenly felt like a new woman, felt the warrior coming back, felt the strength coming back.

She crawled back under the door to meet Mutt still sitting outside. She petted him and said, "It's been a good day Mutt. A repaired staff, a new dagger, what more could a girl want?" She looked down at him and he nudged her empty duffle bag. "Well OK, I didn't get dinner but it shouldn't be up to me to bring home the bacon every time."

"Come on Mutt, let's go back. I may be a new woman but I still become tired after a couple of hours. Let's see what the men came up with. Fish maybe?"

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 7 – 7****TH**** ENTRY:**

The next morning Lucky & Roxanne were standing in the cold water at the bow of the boat ready to push Jenny into deeper water when Brandon raised the paddle wheels. Mutt was on the bow looking down at them. "I never learned to swim," Roxanne said.

Lucky took his hands off the bow and turned to her, "Well , and you thought this was a good idea? How are you going to swim out to the boat if we shake it loose?"

"I'm not afraid of the water, in fact I love being around water. I know how to dog paddle. Just no one ever taught me to swim. I'll ask Brandon to teach me," she said.

They heard a grinding sound and then Brandon yelled out, "OK, I have the paddle wheels up. See if you can push it out."

They were not successful using their arms to push or leaning against it so they turned to put their backs up against it and pushed together, using all the strength in their legs on the muddy lake bottom. On the 3rd attempt they felt it budge and that gave them encouragement. The 4th attempt finally dislodged it and the boat started to float away from them.

They heard Brandon give a yell of joy and then he ran out to the bow. The boat was slowly turning as it floated away. "I'll throw the ladder over and you can swim out."

Roxanne wadded to shore and ran ahead of Lucky on the wharf to dive in without slowing her run. At first Lucky thought that she had lied about not being able to swim since it was almost a perfect dive. Her feet were a little far apart but she dove into the water smoothly. He ran to the end of the wharf looking for her but when she came up she was already at the ladder and didn't need help at all. Either the dive had propelled her to the ladder or she had swum underwater. He shook his head. The woman was suicidal, that's all there was to it.

Brandon helped her up the ladder as Lucky swam out. "Damn that felt good," she smiled, "by the way, you need to teach me how to swim."

Brandon stepped back with a shocked expression, "huh? You don't know how to swim?"

"Is someone going to help me off this ladder?" Lucky yelled out. "I need some help here!" Brandon reached down and grabbed Lucky's hand while Roxanne reached for a towel.

"Come with me to the controls Lucky," Brandon said and the 2 of them left her alone with Mutt who was thankful to see her on board. They climbed to the bridge and Brandon steered the boat in the direction away from the shore. Then he pulled a lever to lower the paddle wheels. "Just hold the wheel in this position while I go below to turn the axle. It may give a jerk so be steady on your feet. I'll give Roxanne a heads up to sit down."

Roxanne sat on one of the benches as she was told and held Matt to her so he wouldn't stumble. After a short time they heard the grind of metal and the boat gave a lurch as the paddle wheels attempted to start and then stopped again. She wanted Brandon to have success since he wanted this so badly. It had given him new life, a purpose, a goal other than to stay alive one more day. The wheels ran longer the 2nd time and Lucky concentrated on keeping the boat away from shore and the wharf.

The 3rd attempt was a charm and the wheels continued to run at a steady pace. Brandon appeared on deck with a big smile on his face, grabbed her hands and began dancing her around while singing a tune that she was not familiar with.

"Brandon, get your ass up here," Lucky yelled out. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing."

Roxanne leaned down and petted Mutt as Brandon climbed to the controls. "It's a new adventure Mutt," she whispered.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 7 – 8****TH**** ENTRY:**

Brandon was having that dream again, the nightmare of letting people die as he grabbed their supplies and ran. The 3 of them had been running for a month, always having to change their course because of herds, never having more than a couple of hours of sleep and moving on again. They hadn't eaten for 3 days and their bodies were starting to break down, constantly burning off fat and muscle that was so desperately needed to continue on. Ammo had quickly been depleted although they still carried the empty weapons hoping that they would find another supply somewhere.

They heard the screams and ran to the end of a forest to see a family of 4 fighting off a small group of walkers. Roxanne had risen from her crouch to run out and help when Lucky grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "No, there's too many of them. We can't help, but see where they dropped their duffle bags? They're on the edge of the circle of walkers. I think we can make a sprint past them, grab the bags while still on the run and just keep going."

Brandon and Roxanne looked at each other. "But Lucky," Brandon said, "that isn't us, preying on other people. There are 4 of them, 3 of us and 10 walkers. With their help we should be able to handle this."

Lucky shook his head, "You've calculated wrong. There are 3 of us and 10 walkers which makes us outnumbered. They're clueless as to how to fight and we can't feed ourselves so how are we going to feed them. If you're not with me then circle around, but I'm making a run for it and will get at least 1 bag, maybe 2 if I'm lucky."

In the end Brandon had followed Lucky but the look of hope and joy in the eyes of the people when they spotted him has always haunted him and it is those pleading eyes that he couldn't escape. It seemed as if he couldn't put enough distance between them to drown out the screams of their dying. They had finally stopped running when they ran out of breath and waited for Roxanne to catch up. They expected for her to have circled and would find them from another direction but she showed up carrying a duffle bag. Brandon always thought that she had stayed in the brush still trying to calculate how 1 person could save 4 people against 10 walkers and had stayed so long that the 4 were finally attacked and consumed. Only then did she leave her place and run out to grab a bag since it was the only option left to her after having waited too long.

Brandon woke up with a start and in a sweat although the nights were becoming cold. He was out of breath as if he had been running and sat on the edge of the bunk with his head in his hands. Once he was able to breath normal again he got up and went out on deck to see Lucky standing against the railing looking out to shore.

Lucky turned as he heard footsteps and asked, "Couldn't sleep?"

"No," Brandon shook his head.

"Seems I can't sleep anymore unless I get drunk," Lucky turned back to look out over the water.

"Yeah, I noticed that Roxanne has started to carry a bottle to bed with her," Brandon said. A sign escaped him. "Do you think we'll ever forget being on the run like that and the things that we were forced to do to stay alive?

"No," Lucky said. "We will never forget we just need to learn how to live with it. We…..I made a lot of mistakes which people do when they haven't slept for days or haven't eaten. I knew the condition existed, but always thought I was better than that and could overcome any hardship forced on me and would still make the right decision. Was even trained for it. I guess the difference is that in training you know it will end and you will get sleep, you will be fed. But experiencing it in real life," he shook his head, "I fell into the same pitfalls that they warned us against."

"You kept us alive Lucky, don't beat yourself up. It's a new life out there that we are going toward."

"No it isn't, Brandon," Lucky turned to face him and leaned against the rail. "It's just more of the same out there, just in a different place. More walkers, more gangs…."he trailed off thinking of the gangs they met on the road and using Roxanne as a decoy. "I didn't keep us alive, Roxanne did with her hunting and Mutt kept Roxanne alive. I failed miserably and lost her. She will never want me to touch her again and I don't feel worthy enough to even attempt it."

"Give it time. She needs to heal. The situation changed all of us, showed a different side of us that we didn't know existed. Brought out the worst in us and we were shocked by it. None of us know who the hell we are now."

"Before this did you think that Roxanne had a black heart?" Lucky asked.

"Good God no," Brandon replied.

"Well I did. I saw how she killed KC and ED, saw the ruthlessness of the method she used. And like a stupid man I thought only I could penetrate that blackness to receive the goodness in her. That was my mistake in thinking that I could throw anything at her during the last 3 months and she could endure it. Turns out, she didn't have a black heart at all until I created one for her.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 7 – 9****TH**** ENTRY**:

"We need to find a dingy or a row boat," Brandon said while at the helm. He hadn't thought this part out, of how to reach the residences on the shore so they could do a supply run. Most wharves outside the houses were short and in shallow water and he was afraid of running the boat aground. They had found a raft on board but it was a flimsy thing and wouldn't hold much. Lucky & Roxanne used it to row out to a house and once it was loaded they would swim along the side of the raft to bring it back to the boat but it was exhausting work, especially for Roxanne who was still learning to swim. Mutt would always go ballistic watching Roxanne leave the ship, constantly pacing and whining until he would see her emerge from a building again.

Lucky climbed the ladder and then leaned over as Roxanne handed him the few items they had found at the house. Candles, blankets because the nights were getting cold, extra sweaters and some canned goods. But Roxanne had been ecstatic when she found a case of dog food and almost tipped the raft trying to bring it back. She couldn't lift it up to Lucky without losing her balance so she handed him a couple of cans at a time.

They had dried off and gone to the helm with Brandan when he made the remark about a dingy. "Why don't we start skipping houses and just keep going" Lucky said. "See if we can find a marina or perhaps a rowboat that is on a lift on dry land. Or a larger estate that has a boat house. Maybe a small boat will be in the rafters that we can use."

He turned to Brandon, "We're still in this channel. The water is too smooth to be going anywhere major like a commercial area. Are you afraid of being able to handle it on a river that has a strong current?"

"Yes I am," Brandon answered. "But that won't stop me. I will need to face it sooner or later and I have gotten some practice under my belt. Don't know what we'll meet though so in the beginning I suggest we all wear life jackets. I've heard that the Mississippi can be a vicious river at times. Don't know about the Tennessee River. Hell, for all we know we may be approaching the Ohio River."

"Alright, then let's just keep going. There should be a marina at the end of the channel right before we enter a major waterway, regardless of what river it is. That's where the money is for fishermen to go out on charters so there should be a marina there."

Jenny was a good, sound boat but she was slow and sometimes Lucky felt that he could get out and walk faster. But at least they were safe here although they had not seen any walkers on shore since first boarding Jenny.

Toward the end of the day Roxanne poked her head into the galley and asked Lucky if he was frying up some fish. "No, why?"

"Because I smell seafood." With that they both went on deck and saw that they were approaching a dilapidated building and could just make out the faded sign of "Joe's Seafood Restaurant." At that moment a white haired man came out and waved at them, indicating that they should come in to shore.

"I don't like this," Lucky said.

"Brandon is that wharf long enough for you to stop?" Roxanne asked. Brandon nodded. "OK, don't approach the wharf yet. Mutt and I will take the raft over and check the place out. If it's OK I'll wave to you with my staff in my hand. If I wave without the staff then it's not safe and you should keep going. I'll leave it up to you 2 as to where you stop and double back….if you double back."

Brandon stopped the engines and she pulled out the raft to toss it over the side. "Roxanne, this is insane," Lucky said. "You can't go in there alone."

She climbed down the ladder and said, "We've done this before". The statement shattered Lucky, a bitch slap if he ever saw one. He could feel his face turning red. "Besides," Roxanne continued and reached up with her arms," I won't be alone. Hand Mutt down to me and get my staff." She teetered precariously to keep her balance in the raft as Mutt was put into her arms.

She settled herself in the raft and reached up to get her staff that Brandon was holding out to her. She balanced it in her hand and knew she had to keep it away from the raft so it wouldn't puncture anything so she held it out in both hands to Mutt and asked, "Can carry this for me Mutt?" Mutt leaned forward and snapped his teeth on the staff between her hands. Roxanne let go and watched as the staff tilted to the left, then to the right until Mutt found the right balance and leveled it out. "Good boy."

Lucky & Brandon watched as Roxanne rowed to shore. The old man never left the doorway of the building and they could not see inside from their position. He did not come out to help Roxanne pull the raft onto shore. Mutt carefully stepped out of the raft, still perfectly balancing Roxanne's staff and walked up to her. She leaned down and petted him then both of them walked up to the old man.

They watched as the man extended his hand and Roxanne took it to return the handshake. Words were exchanged that they could not hear. The old man looked over at them once with a look of suspicion, then down at Mutt while still conversing with Roxanne. They watched as he turned and went into the building as Roxanne and Mutt followed to disappear into the darkness without a signal or looking back.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 7 – 10****TH**** ENTRY:**

As Roxanne approached the man he put out his hand and introduced himself as Joe. She smiled and returned the gesture saying that her name was Roxanne, "and this" she looked down," is Mutt."

He looked out to the boat and lost his smile, "Your friends are not coming in with you?"

"No, I elected to come because you reminded me of my father."

He looked back at her and resumed the smile, "Well in that case it is my pleasure since he produced such a beautiful daughter. I have fish stew on the wood stove, please come in and join me."

"Mutt goes everywhere with me," Roxanne said. "Will that be a problem if he comes in?"

Joe shook his head and looked down at Mutt, "No, in fact I may have one beef jerky left that he can have. Dogs need to be fed too."

Roxanne took a step into the door way and stopped to let her eyes adjust to the dimness inside. It would be getting dark soon and the shadows were long at this time of day. She saw that it was a small family business with booths on the right but Joe had taken the booths out on the left and put in a cot. If the center of the room had tables and chairs Joe had removed those too because the floor was open to a bar in the back. The shelves behind of the bar did not have any merchandise and were bare of even a glass to drink from.

She could see Joe in the kitchen in the back and the only other doors were to the restrooms. Joe called out from the kitchen with his back still turned to her. "There's just me but you can check the bathrooms if you want. Put Mutt outside the bathroom door so you will feel safe from me jumping you from behind." Roxanne smiled and checked both bathrooms to find that they were empty. She walked to the doorway of the kitchen and stood aside so she could see the other side of the room before entering. Unless someone was hiding in a refrigerator, Joe was alone.

She walked in and Joe was just taking a roll of beef jerky out of a can and started to hand it down to Mutt. Roxanne quickly grabbed it and held it to her nose to see if she could smell any chemicals on it. Joe looked at her with confusion then took the jerky back to bite off an end and began to chew it. "It's safe for the dog but I can understand you being cautious. Invite your friends in, although I'll be honest I'm not beholding to a man who would send their woman in first."

Roxanne gave Mutt the jerky and sat down on a stool at the sink, "It's a method that is comfortable with us."

"Oh" he went on stirring, not pleased with the answer when a thought suddenly occurred to him and he looked up. "Oh, I See! You're a decoy! Damn, have I walked into a trap?"

"No," she shook her head, "but I should go to the door and wave them in or they will be worried by now."

By the time Lucky and Brandon were able to dock the paddleboat Roxanne and Joe were already sitting at a booth eating while Mutt sat at her feet watching the door. Sometimes Roxanne would set aside a baby potato and let it cool before handing it to Mutt.

"Pots in the kitchen," Joe waved toward the back. "You'll find bowls and spoons back there. Just help yourself."

"How long have you been here Joe" Roxanne asked.

"All my life. When the world fell apart I didn't see any reason to leave. I know this area, know where to hide, know where to find food, although I burned up most of my furniture last winter. Wood Stove keeps me warm and this year I planned for the winter by chopping my own wood. Always had it delivered before."

"Where exactly are we," Lucky asked as he came out of the kitchen with his stew. Both he and Brandon elected to stand behind the bar where they could watch the door and their boat.

"You're about to enter Lake Huntington. I was the last restaurant on this channel before entering the lake. I've picked clean everything north on the lake and your boat will have a hard time south of the lake since it narrows down into a creek with a shallow bottom." This news was devastating to Brandon. He had fallen in love with Jenny and did not want to abandon her. "Course I guess you could raise her paddles so they won't scrap bottom and you might get through. More likely she'll hit rock and break up though."

"Where does this Huntington Lake and Creek lead to?" Brandon asked. "I've never heard of it."

"Very few people have," Joe continued. "That's why the fishing was so good here. Everybody else went to the Gulf."

"GULF?" Everyone chimed in at once.

Joe looked up at their confused faces. "Why yes. You've in the State of Mississippi. Why? Where did you want to go?"

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 7 – 11****TH**** ENTRY:**

"I really think you should stay," Joe said the next morning. "There are a couple of cottages across the lake that are habitable. I haven't seen a walker for a month and the last people I saw was 4 months ago. The only people out there now are scumbags, begging your pardon." Roxanne had looked away at the memory of being one of those scumbags but Joe had mistaken the look on her face. "That last bunch that came through here beat me to a pulp for no reason. Took me a month to heal. And the group before that went into a rage when they found out I didn't have any supplies and busted up everything I had on the shelves behind the bar. There's just two of you men and most of these groups come in 5 or 6. No match for you to handle."

Joe had told them that Huntington would eventually flow into Lake Pontchartrain and that was where Brandon wanted to go. He said there would be large gambling boats there and could be well stocked since Jenny had provided for them as small as she was. "Like Roxanne thought of Amusement Parks and how no one would be taking a vacation. That's the same theory I'm using for gambling casinos on the water. Many of them are permanent structures and don't go out on the water at all. They would still be standing."

Roxanne was struggling with her intuition. She really wanted to check out one of those cottages that Joe spoke of and settle down into a normal routine again. Her intuition had led her to Jenny who took her to Joe. Was that Jenny's purpose or was it to get her to Lake Pontchartrain? She almost decided to let Brandon and Lucky go without her and take up residence in one of the cottages, but Joe's stories of the type of people that had come through frightened her. She had discovered that she was human and that a woman was no match for 5 men. She did not want to relive that nightmare ever again and knew that she could no longer be a woman alone in this world. She needed Brandon and Lucky as much as they needed her.

They told Joe of their need for a dingy and he said he would go with them to the northern part of the lake where the Marinas were. They would drop him off at his place on the way back to the south. Once they were on Jenny and Joe saw the inexperience that Brandon had he stayed on the bridge to give Brandon additional help and training.

Roxanne and Lucky sat on a bench facing the bow and watched the scenery go by. "Are you comfortable with this, Roxanne?" Lucky asked.

"To be quite honest, I'm torn. Joe has made it out here all on his own. I'm worried about him now that he told us of the last groups that came through. The next group that comes through here could kill Joe or find me alone in a cottage and kill me too. It's encouraging that he hasn't seen walkers in a month since we spent 2 months constantly hearing their moans surrounding us although the last month became sporadic. At one time I would have taken him up on the offer, but I feel so old now and not that young woman who was running Dollywood. I can't believe that was just 3 months ago. It seems ages and I don't have that strength of being well fed, don't know if I'll ever get it back. I feel more like one of the victims who we used to pity because they were weak."

At that moment Joe yelled out, "Land Ho, to your left. Pull into that Marina."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 7 – 12****TH**** ENTRY:**

Joe showed them where a rowboat was up on the rafters and paddles to go with it. It was a job getting it down but it was in good shape and would serve its purpose. He found some rope and showed them the proper knot to use to tie Jenny. They searched the rest of the marina but Joe had already scavenged through it for his own use.

On the way back he once again stayed with Brandon on the bridge, then called Lucky up and used the excuse that he wanted to see if they could find the channel and his place on their own. If they were going to cruise the lake and creek they needed to learn how to navigate. His real intent was to get Roxanne alone. As before she was sitting on a bench at the bow watching the shoreline with Mutt at her side.

Joe sat down beside her and said, "Can't you talk some sense into those guys? It's suicide going toward the city. Just 6 months ago I still had heavy traffic coming through of people fleeing New Orleans. Then suddenly it stopped. The city has been taken over by walkers and the creek can get dangerous in spots. Brandon wouldn't know how to handle rapids. I have a bad feeling about this Roxanne. Just what is it that they're looking for?"

Roxanne shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, "A safe place, I guess. A community perhaps with other people who have managed to survive. We know there is a greater chance of survival with a large number of people. There must be someplace, somewhere like that."

Joe turned to her, "Look me in the eye Roxanne and tell me that you believe that."

She smiled at him, "No, I don't believe it. That's Brandon's dream and hopes. Lucky, I don't think he has any plans other than to keep moving. I had already found my safe haven when the landscape suddenly turned into a sea of walkers and we were overrun. We've been running ever since with walkers always behind us breathing down our necks. I don't know when or where we finally lost them but it wasn't that long ago and they will eventually show up here. I fear for you Joe," she said, reaching over to touch his hand.

"I'll be alright. I'll just get in my outboard and go across the lake," he signed. "I've done that before when a large herd came through. None of them ever made it across and when I saw that the shore had cleared I came back. There's still fishing in the lake and in the summer there's strawberries, blueberries and I have a few vegetables planted around back. Gets lonesome though and I do wish that sometimes a stray dog or cat would come by. Haven't seen any animals before you showed up with Mutt."

Just then Brandon leaned over the railing and shouted, "we found it, we found it!...oh, LAND HO." They looked up to see Brandon pointing to the channel and they could see Joe's shack further down.

Joe patted Roxanne's knee and said, "OK, well promise me that if anything goes wrong that you'll try to get back."

Roxanne nodded and smiled, "Will be the first place I think of, me and Mutt."

Joe walked away and then turned back once more, "Oh, you didn't really come over first because I looked like your Dad, did you?" When Roxanne shook her head he continued, "See, that's what I don't like about this, sending you out there first. Not right Roxanne, it's just not right."

"It wasn't their fault Joe. I'm a very stubborn woman."

"I would rethink about being stubborn, Roxanne," Joe said. "Stubbornness can get you killed."

**END OF CHAPTER SEVEN**


	8. Chapter 8

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – 1****ST**** ENTRY:**

Joe had told them that they would probably be on the Lake for another 2 – 3 days depending on Jenny's speed. He suggested that they drop anchor before entering the creek and wait for rain so the creek would be at its fullest. "It's hurricane season and you should get some good rainfall to come up from the South." He waved them off and it broke Roxanne's heart to leave him behind.

On the 2nd day they started to see Walkers again and reality came back to slap them in the face. When Roxanne spotted the first one she sighed and looked down into the water, not wanting to face it all over again. Then she turned her back on the sight and leaned against the railing, crossing her arms as a gesture of denial. Lucky also spotted the walkers and came down to join her.

"It's alright. They're on the wrong side of the lake and Joe will be OK."

"I think we should have a back-up plan," Roxanne said. "Brandon is so excited that he's not thinking straight. At what point do we turn back or do we turn back? Let's say tomorrow that we see a herd in the forest. Do we take that as an indication that the area is fully inhabited by walkers and turn back? Brandon feels that we are safe on Jenny, but what if we proceed forward and find that we are surrounded on both sides of the creek by walkers and Jenny breaks up on the rocks?"

"I hate to tell you this Roxanne, but once we enter fast moving water Brandon won't be able to turn around. Don't think he can maneuver Jenny in small spaces and Jenny's paddlewheels will be trying to paddle against the current. If the water is shallow the best we can hope for is to put her wheels up and float down. I see this as a suicide mission. It's as good a place to die as any."

"Well that's just great!" Roxanne threw her arms down. "Brandon with his head in the clouds and you on a suicide mission. Well I haven't given up yet."

She went inside and forced her mind to go back to when she was traveling with Ed and how she had planned to desert him. How she had started to secretly store items in her duffle bag. These thoughts caused her to realize that she was not prepared for disaster at any unknown moment. She went into the kitchen to find a plastic trash bag, took some canned goods and dog food and went back to her bunk. She folded some extra clothes and put them in the plastic along with her empty pistol and holster. If she needed to go overboard as least those things would remain dry. She wished that she had a heavier jacket for the winter months to pack and change into if she had to swim for it and was both wet and cold. She put the wrapped items and canned goods in her duffle bag.

She sat on the bunk and tried to plan things out. If Jenny broke up she would try to grab the raft before it floated down stream. The material from the raft could be used to protect her against rain and help to keep her dry if she was forced to travel on foot. What else? What else? She went into the kitchen to see if anything gave her more ideas. Matches! Damn, how could she have forgotten those? She snatched them off the counter and put them into her jeans. She went into the poker room and cut the cord from one of the venetian blinds and planned to tie it to Mutts kerchief so they weren't separated in the water. All her plans revolved around the boat breaking up on the rocks and none would be necessary if they actually made it to Lake Pontchartrain. She could only hope that Brandon took Joe's advice.

She decided that she would insist on stopping at all the cottages along the way. Brandon was anxious to get to Lake Pontchartrain and they had eaten fish that Lucky caught only stopping at night to throw anchor. She needed another axe since the one she had was so blunt. She didn't have any hope of finding ammo since none of their searches in the last3 months had resulted in replenishing their spent ammo.

She went back on deck to find Lucky fishing off the side. "What have you been up to?" he asked.

"Nothing, just tried to take a short nap."

Lucky had to look away. He had heard her rummaging in the kitchen and knew that she had just lied to him. He did not know of any time that Roxanne had lied to him or had attempted to keep a secret since she first met him at Dollywood. 'So,' he thought to himself. 'It's that Roxanne now, is it?'

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – 2****ND**** ENTRY:**

After they dropped anchor that night Roxanne brought up the subject of stopping at any cottage that they saw along the way.

"But that could be a lot of stopping," Brandon objected.

"Brandon, we're not prepared," Roxanne said. "The nights are getting cold. We need blankets, coats and I want to find another axe. We shouldn't give up on ammo yet. At this point just one bullet for each of us could save someone's life and we don't know what we will be facing. Be prepared. Wasn't that what you always said?"

"I don't know" Brandon said. "Seems that we could find all that stuff after we get there."

"OK, what about tarps, plastic to cover us, replacing the items that are old and torn that we used during the last 3 months?" she asked. "We should fill the raft with all those things and more, tie them down in case we need to abandon ship. We would have a supply already gathered and it will lessen our hardship if we go on foot again."

Lucky had tilted his chair back with his feet on the railing and was listening to all this. He wondered if that was what she had been doing in the kitchen, getting her own survival gear ready to put in the raft along with everything else that she had just mentioned. "She has a point, Brandon. We should look at this from every angle. We also need more medical supplies and searching the cabinets in the cottages could at least give us that. Peroxide, bandages, first aide creams too. Our open scratches and skin sores are healing but we shouldn't stop with treatment and we're out of all that. Most cottages used for summer vacations would have those along with bug spray and sun lotion."

The next day they saw a slightly heavier traffic of walkers on land which Roxanne found depressing. She turned to Lucky, "I don't feel good about this. It took months to outrun them and now it appears that we're just going back into the nest again," she put her shaking hand to her temple. "Don't they ever die? Is there nothing that will stop them?"

Lucky took her hand which she did not pull away. "I know," he smiled at her. "My only hope is that they have all migrated out of the city and left it abandoned. Yeah, I know. That's a big fantasy that's why I didn't voice it out loud. I remember you saying to Gene that we don't know anything about 'these things that we call walkers.' Remember that conversation? The only thing that we've learned since then is that it appears they can't cross large bodies of water. They attempt to because they don't have fear but they get washed away," he chuckled. "It appears that they don't remember how to swim so maybe Brandon has the right idea to stay on a boat or in Lake Pontchartrain on a ship or cruise liner." He shrugged his shoulders, "It's something Roxanne. It's all we have right now to work toward, to stay alive for, that one last hope. I'm all out of ideas."

Roxanne pulled her hand away and looked at the walkers gathering on shore as they spotted the movement of Jenny passing by. "I hope you and Brandon are right, Lucky. I think this could be my last round in this boxing match. "

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – 3****RD**** ENTRY:**

They saw 3 houses all built on the same dead-end road that lead to the lake. One wharf served all 3 homes and was not long enough for Brandon to pull up so Lucky and Roxanne decided to take the rowboat and tow the raft behind them. They had not seen any walkers that morning and were encouraged that the walkers were traveling in pockets. It was not their intention to take Mutt but the dog would not hear of it and after they pulled away from Jenny they heard a splash and turned to see that Mutt had jumped in. He swam over to their boat and Roxanne helped him in, admonishing him for not following orders to "stay." He responded by shaking the water off his coat and wetting both of them down then he began nudging Roxanne's staff.

"OK, Mutt," Roxanne said, "I get the hint. Come sit down in front of me and you can hold the staff while I help Lucky paddle." Mutt turned and sat so his back was to Roxanne and he was facing Lucky. Roxanne balanced the staff to determine the middle then reached over Mutt and held it in front of him. She heard his teeth click on the metal and asked, "You got it? I'm going to let go now" but she held her hands under the staff in case it slipped to one side. She didn't want to lose it overboard.

Lucky turned around to see Mutt sitting as still as a Sphinx, his eyes so wide you would think they would pop out of his head, but the staff stayed level. Lucky looked up at Roxanne and smiled at the sight and she smiled back at him. When he looked back toward shore he couldn't help but to chuckle.

They did not tie up at the dock, not wanting to carrying things up and down the ladder so they rowed directly to shore where they pulled the boat up on land. Roxanne reached over Mutt to retrieve her staff and he ran out of the boat.

"I expect walkers here Roxanne, so be careful" Lucky said. "People would have been escaping the city and suburbs to their summer homes in hopes of avoiding the chaos. Let's take the single house on the right side of the road first, then the 2 on the left." They circled the house first looking in the windows and did not see movement, but rapped on the back door hoping it would not be heard at the other 2 houses. It was locked and Lucky used the crank handle from the axle of the paddlewheel to open the door.

They silently and quickly checked each room which appeared to be unused. "They must not have made it out of the city, or they got caught up in a grid-lock," Lucky said. The cupboards were bare since most people buy their food and bring it with them for the holiday. Or they visit the local area for their food and only keep enough in the house to last during their time there. But the bathroom did have some medical supplies. Roxanne took a sheet that could be cut up for bandages and some garbage bags.

They left by the front door and quickly ran across the street to the back of the next house. Roxanne spotted a shed in the back yard and said she wanted to check that first. If the owners had tools or fishing gear it would be in the shed. She looked in the window of the shed and could see a walker on the floor. It had either heard her or smelled her because it was trying to rise, but was too weak to do so. She opened the door and quickly used her staff to kill it before he could rise. It was the first time she had used the staff since pounding it back into shape with a sharp point and was glad to see that it had become a useful weapon again.

The discoveries in the shed were good to her although it was the fishing lures that attracted Lucky. She found a hatchet and immediately replaced the old axe hanging off her belt. A jagged blade knife for scrapping scales would be very effective to penetrate walker skulls, a tarp to cover a boat and some hip boots. Lucky said one size would fit him and he would take the other pair to see if Brandon could use it. But most of all Roxanne was delighted to find more dog food.

"You made out Mutt," she said as she turned back and saw the note pinned on the door.

GOT BIT. FAMILY LOCKED ME IN. KEEP THEM SAFE FROM ME.

"We may have trouble inside Lucky."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – 4****TH**** ENTRY:**

Lucky came up behind her and read the note. "You think there's family inside?" he asked.

"Don't know if this is his house or the one next door. There's a car parked in the driveway next door, still has a canoe mounted on the roof. I know Brandon would object but I'd like to find the keys to the car and drive up the road to see if we can find a mom & pop store or, if nothing else to see if the highways are jammed with walkers." She turned and looked at the walker behind her remembering the dead body in the bar where she found the keys to the car in the alley. She saw that the walker had the same habit as the man in the bar when he was alive and was wearing his car keys attached to his belt loop. She went over and cut them off with her newly found saber.

"I'll check the car if you want to check the windows of the house," Roxanne said. She had been watching Mutt as they walked together and he had not shown signs that anything was amiss in the neighborhood. Lucky veered off as Roxanne unlocked the car and got in but before attempting to start the car she checked under the seat for a gun, not really expecting to find one. Then she opened the glove compartment and gasped when she found a fully loaded revolver. Her first thought was that it would feel nice to wear her holster again, but her second reaction was to hide it. She looked over her shoulder and saw that Lucky was looking in a window of the house with his back to her so she quickly put the gun in her back pack.

She tried the ignition but there was dead silence. She didn't have any reason to but she turned the ignition off and then tried again. This time the car turned over causing both she and Lucky to jump with surprise. Lucky came over and said, "They couldn't have just arrived here. That walker was too decomposed."

"Then someone has been keeping it in good working order." Roxanne looked down at the gauge and saw that it still had a quarter of a tank of gas. "You didn't see any signs of someone living inside the house?"

At that moment they received a "Toot-toot" from Jenny which was Brandon's signal that something or someone was approaching. They ran to the end of the driveway so they could see down the road toward the river and saw a small figure standing on the wharf waving at Brandon. Brandon was pointing to the person to look behind her. Once she turned around and saw Lucky & Roxanne at the houses she started walking towards them. She had a fishing rod in one hand and a tackle basket thrown over one shoulder, wearing baggie trousers and a man's long-sleeve shirt over her T-Shirt. A hat shaded her face but they could see the grey hair escaping from around the brim.

They started walking toward her to shorten the distance when suddenly Mutt bounced out from between them and ran to the woman. She froze, not knowing what to expect, but Mutt ran 2 circles around her and then stood up on his hind legs to lick her face. She started laughing and almost stumbled from the weight of Mutt's paws on her shoulders.

"Mutt!" Roxanne yelled. "Mutt DOWN", but she had to physically remove Mutt and hold him to contain his excitement.

"Hi, I'm Martha," the woman said still chuckling. "Do I know you because your dog definitely seems to know me?"

"I'm Roxanne," she reached out to shake the woman's hand. "Mutt's previous owner was an older woman. I believe he made the association when he saw you and became confused. This is Lucky and the man on the boat tooting the horn is Brandon."

"Well, we better get inside," Martha said. "I know he was probably being friendly but your friend probably called in walkers with the noise." They walked to the home with the car outside and she unlocked the front door. The stench of rotten fish immediately insulted their nostrils, causing Roxanne and Lucky to take a step back. Martha turned to look at them, "Yes I know, but I only do it in this house when the danger of walkers is present. I sleep in the other house." They walked in to see Martha take a fish out of the trout basket and set it on the window sill. Then she closed all the drapes and sat down. "If we talk in whispers they won't hear us. The smell confuses them and they won't pick up our scent."

"How long have you been here Martha?" Roxanne asked.

"Came in last winter with my granddaughter, her husband and my great-grandson. That's her husband out there in the shed. Got bit almost right away. Pretty much sent my granddaughter over the edge hearing him out there every day. Last month she and David, my great-grandson went out on the rowboat for fish and didn't come back. They should have been safe as long as they stayed in the boat but maybe they went ashore for late blackberries. I've been afraid every day since then that I will see them as a walker," her voice cracked and she looked away.

"Why don't you come with us Martha?" Lucky asked. "We're going to Lake Pontchartrain to look for a floating casino to live on."

Martha was shocked, "Are you fools? The whole Gulf is swamped with walkers. Baton Rouge, New Orleans in Louisiana; Gulfport, Biloxi in Mississippi they all swarmed together to form a devastating herd, not to mention the Florida beach communities that joined them." Lucky & Roxanne turned to look at one another, more worried about Lake Pontchartrain every day. "If you want to help me," Martha continued, "the car still runs and I can't drive. Attempted to, but when I ran over the mailbox out front I knew I would probably kill myself. There's a country store about 2 miles up the road before you get to the major highway. I'd like to make a run and see if there is anything left. My granddaughter was making runs to a closer store about ½ mile away, but she cleaned that one out and refused to go any further.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – 5****TH**** ENTRY:**

After checking all the windows to make sure the outside was clear of walkers Martha said to wait while she got the extra car key from the other house. "That won't be necessary, Martha" Roxanne dangled the keys in front of her. Martha looked surprised and then realized that the keys came from the body in the shed. "He's dead then, is he?" she asked. "For good this time?"

Martha asked if they would take the canoe off the car since it was too heavy for her to do. She said she had won medals for her canoeing skills when she was younger and had continued to enjoy the sport. They drove the car down to the wharf and unloaded the canoe, putting it into the water for her. Brandon was not pleased to hear that they would be leaving him but he declined the invitation to go along, not wanting to leave the boat unattended.

As they began driving away with Martha and Mutt in the back seat, Roxanne was starting to fear that Mutt would not want to leave Martha. Mutt was lying with his head in Martha's lap while she scratched him under the ears. " You said that Bill was bitten shortly after arriving. And he was in the shed all this time without feeding?" Roxanne was still trying to determine if walkers had a life span.

"Oh, I'm sure he fed on some animals that went into the place looking for shelter or food," Martha surmised. "Mice, squirrels, raccoons, possum. It's not like I checked on him or anything." She looked out the window, "Only thing I worry about is this winter. None of the homes have fireplaces and things got pretty bad last year."

"Martha I don't like leaving you here" Lucky said. "There's an older gentleman on the northern part of the lake by the name of Joe. He's also alone. He has a wood stove and he's also a survivor. If you get into trouble could you canoe that far?"

"Don't worry about me. It's yourselves that are heading for trouble. But it's always good to have a back-up plan. What's this guy's name?" They told her of Joe and his approximate location. "I know that area," Martha said. "If I left in the morning and continued through the night, depending on moonlight I could be there the next day." Roxanne turned to look at her and Lucky glanced at her in the rear view mirror. When Roxanne told her that they had already spent 2 days on the lake she laughed and said, "In that old thing? I can overtake her any time."

They passed the store that Martha said her granddaughter had emptied out and saw 2 walkers hanging around. They began to pass houses and Lucky asked if her granddaughter had checked any of them out. "No, she never went further than the store. And we didn't check any of them coming in because the car was already full of supplies. Besides, things were pretty scary back then and Bill didn't have a gun. "

Hearing that last statement surprised Roxanne and she couldn't understand why Bill had not revealed to his family that he had a gun in the glove compartment, unless…unless he was saving the bullets to kill a member of the family if they were bitten. But why not tell his wife after he was bitten so she didn't need to hear that he was in the shed as a walker the whole time?

They came to a crossroad and saw the store along with a gas station on the corner but there were 5 walkers milling about. "I don't like this," Lucky said. "We have no idea how many are in the store."

"And I don't have my staff," Roxanne said. "It was too awkward to put in the car."

"There are folding fishing rods in the trunk," Martha said. " I use them to poke their eyes out. I have 2 at home so didn't bother getting more out of the trunk."

Lucky & Roxanne looked at one another, "Not a bad idea, but first let me run this one over with the car," Lucky said as he gunned the motor. BAM! Lucky hit the first one with the left fender and saw the walker break apart before he swerved out of the parking lot to the road again. Then he put it into reverse and backed up to hit the next walker, BAM! It doubled over the trunk and his head smashed against the car.

"Don't damage the trunk!" Martha yelled out. Lucky pulled down the road and waited to see if any more walkers came out of the building, but only those last 3 remained standing and were now following the direction of the car.

"OK," he said. "Let me get the fishing rods out now and then I'll drive us back in."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – 6****TH**** ENTRY:**

They found Martha's method of using the folding fishing rods to poke a walker's eye out to be very effective. Once you penetrated one eye it would throw them balance off and when they made a second lunge at you they would miss. It was rather messy however since removing the rod often pulled the eye socket out, along with a gory mess. Lucky was actually able to kill one walker by pushing the rod so far back into the walkers head that it penetrated the brain causing it to die instantly.

The door to the store was open so they weren't expecting much in the way of supplies. Some shampoos, deodorants, toothpaste was about all that was left but they took those. Lucky noticed that there were two cars parked outside and thought that they could belong to the walkers when they were still human. If they were bitten perhaps they had loaded their car with some of the store supplies before they turned. A quick inspection showed that he was right and that the cars provided more than the store did. There were cans of soup, stews, tuna, oysters and various crackers in one car. The other car contained water, soda, juices, paper plates and canned fruit. If forced to go on foot again they could use the paper plates to start a camp fire after a rain and everything was wet.

As Roxanne and Martha were transferring things to her car Lucky walked around the outside of the store to see if he could find motor oil for their guns and to keep Jenny running. He saw a skeleton of someone who had been devoured by walkers and noticed the sun glinting off of something by his hand. He walked over to see a gun on the ground but could tell by the condition that it would be useless. He picked it up to check it for ammo and saw that it had 2 bullets left which he removed and put into his shirt pocket. After that he started walking the area looking for other weapons in the dried grass. He walked as far as a dead tree that looked like it may have been hit by lightning and had some firewood piled up against it.

Behind the firewood he found another skeleton with a rifle. The rifle proved to be empty of ammo but he saw 2 boxes of bullets stacked up next to the wood pile. The shooter must have sat out here taking out walkers and one must have come up behind him. Lucky grabbed the two boxes and then went to the back of the store where he found a case of motor oil. Suddenly a vision of Roxanne hiding the gun that she found in the car came back to him. He was looking in the window of the house at the time and saw her reflection as she did it, angered that she was still hiding things from him. He took some of the oil cans out of the case and put the boxes of bullets in the bottom, then sat the oil on top of them. As he picked up the case his heart was suddenly heavy with sorrow. What had become of them hiding things from each other? Was Roxanne planning on abandoning him and Brandon using the same technique as when she left Ed? He didn't know what she was up to but he decided that he couldn't be deceitful with his team.

As he walked to the front of the store Roxanne was putting the last of the groceries in their car and asked where he had been. "I was looking for motor oil and found 2 skeletons. It looks as if they were shooting walkers when they died. Their guns have been out in the elements too long to be useful, but I did find 2 boxes of ammo for our rifles." Roxanne's face lit up with the news.

On the way back Martha said, "I hope you plan on staying anchored until it rains. You are about to leave the lake and enter the creek. At the current water level Jenny will have her bottom tore out. If I can't talk you out of going at all, then at least wait until you have a chance to make it."

"I think it is an excellent idea," Roxanne said. "Until then you can have dinners with us and maybe sleep on the boat where you will be safe. At least have a couple of good night's sleeps and we would enjoy your company. Other than Joe, it's been a long, long time since we met friendly people. I'm surprised that you haven't been raided by now."

"Most people don't know that road and there's a sign that says 'Dead End' so they don't bother," Martha said. "But I'll take you up on your offer. I'll bring my shaving kit and take that beard off your face Lucky, you and your friend on board. I'm a hell of a good barber."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – 7****TH**** ENTRY:**

Brandon did not like the idea of staying in place but since Martha was the 2nd person who knew the lake and had warned him against it he grudgingly agreed to wait until rain. "Shouldn't be long," Martha said as she slowly ran the razor up Brandon's neck. "Should have rain by tomorrow night."

They had shared dinner together and Martha had already shaved Lucky who was lying back on the bench with his hands behind his head looking at the stars. They had split the supplies up 50/50 with Martha protesting that she did not need as much. But they convinced her that if she should go upstream to Joe that she should take an offering. Lucky had stopped listening to the conversation and was thinking of Roxanne. The shave had made him feel so clean and fresh and it reminded him of their nights together in the cabin and how they would keep a bucket of water handy to rinse off. He turned his head to look at her and she laughed at something that Martha said. Mutt was sitting by her side and she was petting him absentmindedly as she listened to Martha's stories.

To look at her now you would see a woman who was enjoying herself, but Lucky knew better. He saw how her eyes would dart past Martha to look at the shoreline, always searching for potential danger. Now that they were gaining weight and their health was returning he knew that her mind had cleared and that the near rape was starting to haunt her at night. When they were on the road they were too depleted to think of anything other than finding food to stay alive, or how to stay away from more gangs or how to avoid more walkers. Often one of them would collapse and the other two would stumble to help them up, almost too weak themselves to be of much use. Her mind had gone far, far away and he knew that she was just concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other.

But where was she now, Lucky wondered. He had seen her cry in Brandon's arms but he didn't think that had been enough to rid her of the fear that had lurked in her since the gang they had encountered. He thought it had probably eased a little and that the bottle of booze she took to bed with her at night also helped. But the booze would be gone tonight and he wondered if he should be there to share the last of it with her and find out just how much she hated him, because he was sure that she did.

Roxanne must have felt his eyes on her because she turned to look at him. The smile left her face and perhaps it was the light, but her eyes appeared to grow very dark as if something evil had quickly passed over them. He felt a chill in his bones and sat up to break the stare.

Brandon sat up and looked in the mirror that Martha handed him, "This is wonderful," he said. "I feel like a new man. Roxanne, do you want to get your hair cut like you had it at The Park?" he asked.

She shook her head, "No, this is fine."

"But," Brandon began, "I remember it as..."

"NO!" She stood up and shouted. Mutt whimpered and backed up a few steps while everyone fell silent. She felt the awkwardness and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. If you'll excuse me I have some things to attend to." Mutt stared at Roxanne as she walked off and then looked back at Martha, then Brandon, then Lucky as if waiting for someone to go after her. Finally Mutt got up and left to follow Roxanne to her room.

"I shouldn't have brought that up about The Park," Brandon said. He looked up at Martha, "we lost a lot of people there."

"We don't know that," Lucky said. " We don't know about Morgan, Caleb, Sally and Gene. They could have been delayed and missed us. "

Brandon shook his head, "Sorry Lucky I don't believe that. Only reason they wouldn't show up is if the walkers were at the bottom of the front entrance too. They would not have left us behind."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – 8****TH**** ENTRY:**

"Why don't I draw you a map of the creek," Martha said. "Any old paper bags or stationary designed for tourists on Jenny around here? Maybe the Captains log?"

As Brandon and Martha kept busy planning Jenny's trip Lucky decided to check on Roxanne. He found her sitting on the edge of her bunk, elbows on her knees and a bottle of booze dangling from her hands. Mutt saw him in the doorway and sat up, as he did when they first found Jenny and Roxanne had claimed this bunk.

Lucky put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the door frame. "Mind if I share the last of the booze with you?" he asked.

Roxanne turned the bottle sideways and glanced at it as if she was calculating whether there was enough to share. Without changing her posture she turned to look at him with a penetrating look. "What do you want Lucky?" she asked in a weary voice. He could tell by the tone that she really did not want him there, did not want anyone there. That she had been lost in her own thoughts and they hadn't been pleasant ones.

He took his hands out of his pockets and crossed his arms but did not venture further into the room. "If it rains according to Martha's predictions we will have only tonight and tomorrow night before pulling up anchor. Neither she nor Joe thinks that we will make it downstream in one piece without Jenny breaking up. If we should become separated I would not like for things to be left unsaid between us. I would like to talk to you before we drift further apart."

Roxanne sat up and took a drink, "Drift apart? How ironic, funny really since we could be thrown into the creek." She shook her head, "Not tonight, Lucky. We have a guest and Martha will be put into the room behind you. Whatever you want to talk to me about, it would only be interrupted when Brandon and Martha come in. However," she got up and handed him the bottle, "You can have the rest of the booze. I never could drink anyway."

Lucky took the bottle and was suddenly overwhelmed by the closeness of her body. She had washed her hair with the shampoo that they had found and he had forgotten how beautiful she could smell. He realized that his heart was starting to beat faster and that he had been holding his breath. He reached up to touch her face but Roxanne stepped back. Mutt saw the movement and stood up but did not growl.

At that moment Brandon stepped into the hall, "Let me show you to your room, Martha". With their eyes still locked onto each other, Lucky stepped back from the door and Roxanne softly closed it.

That night Roxanne heard a soft knock at her door. She was sleeping in her t-shirt and panties having grown so tired of sleeping fully dressed while on the road. It felt good to have the safety of Jenny to be able to sleep half-dressed again. She quickly sat up and retrieved the revolver from under her pillow and approached the door. "Roxanne, its Martha" a soft voice said. Roxanne hid the gun behind her back and opened the door a crack. "I'm sorry to bother you but it's so cold and I wondered if you had an extra blanket."

"Oh, of course," Roxanne opened the door and stepped back. "I'm afraid we have been remiss in making you comfortable." She reached to the upper bunk and pulled down a blanket. "I was hoping we would find some leather jackets in one of the homes because the nights are getting so cold." She handed the blanket to Martha who wrapped it around her shoulders.

"I'm afraid I can't help you there," Martha said. "We had coats when we arrived but Bill was wearing his when he died and my granddaughter was wearing hers when she disappeared." She looked at the floor. "I'm sure that Katie and David are dead." She looked up, "Do you mind if I sit and talk for a while, Roxanne? It's been so long since I have spoken to other people and I can't sleep with all the excitement of today."

Roxanne took her blanket off the bed and went to the end of the hall to get a chair while Martha sat down on her bunk. Mutt came over and lay across Martha's feet to keep them warm. Roxanne pulled her knees up to her chest and put the blanket around her when she noticed Mutt's reaction. "I'm afraid I may have lost Mutt to you Martha," she said sadly. "I would hate to see him go, but he's been good to me and deserves to be happy. I can't say that I've provided for him very well while he was busy saving my life."

Martha could see tears starting to develop in Roxanne's eyes. "I think you and I are alike in some ways, Roxanne. This is a horrible, horrible situation for a woman to be in and we have been put to the maximum test. Neither of us is as brave on the inside as what we show to people on the outside. Yes, I have the ability to row to Joe's but would be doubting myself the whole way and scared to death. But that's not the persona I showed to you, Lucky and Brandon. Yes, I can take care of myself at the cottage but I will be in fearful agony the whole time. However, only you and I need to know this about ourselves. We were both brought up thinking that it was our duty to take care of others, but as others made the decisions and we watched them fall by their mistakes we knew we had to step up and take control. But we're faking it, you and I, Roxanne."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – 9****TH**** ENTRY:**

Roxanne started laughing at Martha's remark, trying to keep it soft so as not to wake the men. But Lucky had not been able to sleep either and could hear their conversation next door. Although she & Martha were speaking softly Lucky always left his door open, feeling boxed in at the end of such a narrow hall.

"Looking at you I would say that you have lived 2 different lives in this new world of ours," Martha said.

"Only two?" Roxanne asked.

Martha nodded, "My family didn't leave the city because of walkers Roxanne, we left because of what we saw happening between our neighbors and friends, or raiders who came into the neighborhood. People who we had shared picnics with were suddenly killing each other for food, for weapons, out of panic and fear. Children were being captured and traded for food, used as bargaining tools." She looked away and then back again. "In the beginning we stand by our principals, our convictions, our morals, but in the end we all become animals hunting for food and everything we lived by is lost along the way."

Roxanne was sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest and had a blanket wrapped around her. She found Martha's voice soothing and put her head down on her knees. "That was last winter when I saw the deterioration of society," Martha continued. "I can't imagine what it's like now, but you three…you've been out in it while I was hunkered down at the cottage. I think the 3 of you could be a very dangerous force, could be predators, could be your own gang and possibly have already been there."

Roxanne looked up at that and wondered where Martha was taking this conversation. "That's one life I think you've lived. No, don't look away Roxanne, I didn't mean to embarrass you. Just bear with me because I have seen the struggle in your eyes that only another woman would recognize."

"A team that is strong together can also fall together if one person becomes weak. Weakness can be infectious and that's your greatest fear of what could happen. That's where the second life you have lived in the ZA comes in because you have also been a victim of predators and possibly by your own group too." Roxanne was stunned that Martha could see any of this and wondered if Brandon had told her too much about their journey. "So there you were as part of a gang preying on people and going against every 'good' thing that was in your heart, but you end up being a victim at the hands of others and at the same time you're reaching deep into your mind and body trying to find just one more ounce of strength to pull up and cover the weakness that you don't want the men to see. In the end, you are still trying to protect them, not yourself. And now you don't know who you are because you left all your convictions behind and on top of that you realize that neither of them would take a bullet for you as you would have for them."

Martha shook her head. "You have several paths in front of you Roxanne and I cannot help you in choosing the right one. We cannot expect people to be as loyal and faithful to us as we are to them. Not in this world, not now. We both put on this persona of toughness, but what we really want is for someone to put their arms around us and tell us it will be alright, even if it is a lie."

By this time Roxanne had tears streaming down her cheeks. She got up and came over to Martha to kneel down before her and put her head on Martha's lap.

Lucky had heard the whole conversation and could tell that the women were softly sobbing together. He turned his back against the wall in a feeble attempt to drown them out but could feel the wetness of his own tears on his pillow.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – 10****TH**** ENTRY:**

The next morning they already had a slight misting of rain. Roxanne opened the last can of spam and fried it up, serving it with stale crackers and a jar of applesauce. Martha was going over the map that she drew once more with Brandon. "You heed me now, Brandon," she was saying. "When you get to that railroad track overpass, you anchor there and wait until the next morning. You have 3 hairpin turns on this creek and will have completed one of them by then. It's best to be rested before tackling the other two."

Martha paused to take a bite of her food and to pass Mutt a piece of spam. Roxanne smiled and said, "Martha I gave him a can of dog food this morning. You don't need to feed him your breakfast."

Martha reached down to pet Mutt, "Well, this is the last I'll be seeing of him, so it's my privilege. I'll get across to my place before the rain picks up harder. It's just a sprinkle now but it will pick up harder during the day and possible downpours during the night. By tomorrow morning you should be able to leave. And I have some packing to do" she said as she stood up.

"Packing?" Lucky asked.

"Why yes," Martha answered glancing at Roxanne. "Roxanne and I had a little talk last night and she convinced me that a woman can't go it alone anymore. I need to team up with someone so I think I'll look up this Joe you were telling me about. He sounds like an honorable man who would have my back. Together I think we could protect his place, or die together attempting it. Regardless, it will be nice to have someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of." She started for the door and then turned around again, "Oh….you don't think he would object to that do you? A bossy woman coming in and telling him how things could be done better?"

Lucky shook his head, not missing the hidden meaning in Martha's conversation, "No, I don't think he would object at all." He got up to hug Martha. "You tell him that we send our love."

Brandon rowed Martha over to shore and went with her to check the house. He asked if he could help to load the canoe and she gave him directions on where things were and what he needed to pull down from high shelves. She wanted to put a tarp over the canoe but didn't have the nerve to go into the shed where it was stored. Brandon didn't blame her since the body of Bill was still in there so he went out, checking carefully that new walkers hadn't showed up during the night. As he pulled the tarp off the shelf a long narrow box fell down with it. He opened it to see that it contained arrows. He looked around but did not see a crossbow, however he took both the tarp and the box into the house with him.

"Oh those were David's," Martha answered when Brandon asked her about it. "He had his crossbow with him when he disappeared. I had forgotten about those or I would have offered them to Roxanne. I saw her crossbow hanging up in her room." She turned and looked at Brandon, "Just out of curiosity which one of you men was her lover?"

"MARTHA!" Brandon responded.

Martha put her hand on her hip, "Oh, please Brandon. Don't play me for the fool. It isn't both of you, is it?"

Brandon gasped and took a step back. "Jesus Martha, I know we looked pretty scraggly when you first met us but we haven't fallen that low. No it is…..it was Lucky."

"Past tense," Martha said. "I figured that."

"You had a talk with her last night," Brandon said. "Is everything going to be OK? Roxanne is pretty well beat up right now, mentally and emotionally. She's starting to take unnecessary risks, almost like a suicide mission, like she's given up but will go down fighting for something or someone to make her death count for something. I think she's staying alive just for Mutt. We all need something to cling to, some hope or vision of a better future. Getting down that creek is mine right now. I know it is a short-term goal but in today's world we can focus on just one small achievement at a time to help stabilize us through another day. I get the feeling that Mutt is keeping Roxanne stabilized and she has given up on Lucky and I for support."

Martha looked away and sat at her kitchen table as if deep in thought. "You asked me if everything is going to be OK. I think that depends on Lucky."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – 11****TH**** ENTRY:**

While Brandon took Martha back to her house Lucky & Roxanne pulled the raft on board and began to stock it with supplies. They wrapped the rifles in plastic to keep them dry, added the few canned goods that they had left, put in the fishing rods but they would not put in their duffle bags until the next morning. They loosely tied the tarp over it to keep things dry but after putting in their gear in the morning they would concentrate on tightening it so nothing would fall out if it went overboard.

Roxanne looked up from the raft and tried to wipe the wet hair from her face. "We'll tie the raft to the boat so it doesn't go overboard without us. If Jenny hits the rocks and breaks up we should both try to get to the raft to cut the rope so it isn't dragged under. I'm just not sure when I should tie Mutt to me. I don't want us to become separated, but I don't want to put him in harm's way either."

"Let's get inside and towel off," Lucky said.

Roxanne called to Mutt but he refused to leave the railing. He had been watching Martha's house since Brandon took her over. Roxanne was afraid that when the boat started moving away from shore that Mutt would jump over and swim away from her to go to Martha.

As they walked inside he handed her a towel. "I want you to have a life preserver on all day tomorrow after Brandon pulls anchor. I know that Brandon has been teaching you to swim but we will be in rough water and a strong current. Don't worry about the raft, I'll take care of that. Just hold onto Mutt and try to stay afloat until we can get to shore." He chuckled, "Brandon would be so insulted to hear us talking about abandoning ship."

Roxanne toweled off her hair and went over to her duffle bag to get a dry shirt. She removed the wet denim jacket and kept her back to him as she took off her t-shirt. She took a dry t-shirt out of her bag and added a long-sleeve man's shirt over that since the denim jacket was the only jacket she had. She hugged her arms and turned around, "I'm worried about this winter. None of us have the proper clothing for winter." She continued to rub her arms.

Lucky picked up a throw that was lying across one of the benches and went over to put it around her shoulders. She pulled it across her chest as she shivered in the damp air. Lucky wanted to put his arms around her but instead he kept his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them to try to put warmth back into her body.

"Come here and sit with me, Roxanne," Lucky said taking one of her hands. She let herself be led to the bench but while he sat facing her she looked out over the room. "Do you remember that day at The Park when you climbed over the debris of that wreck and went to the other side of the field by yourself? And I happened to break thru the fence as you were about to attack a walker?"

Roxanne turned to look at him with a smile on her face, "Yes…..yes, I remember that day very well," she said.

"I saw the way you looked at me that day, Roxanne. I saw something change in your eyes, a look of not only relief but that you were seeing me, the real me for the first time and an acceptance of me. I don't know what was going through your head at that moment, but the look captured me. Roxanne, look at me," she had turned away again so he cupped his hand under her check and turned her back. "Whatever you saw in me that day, I'm still here. I haven't changed, although I am somewhat torn around the edges now. I have made mistakes, made some wrong decisions but nothing has changed in how I feel about you. You are the only hope that is keeping me alive through this. The dream that one day we can have a normal life together."

At that moment Mutt started barking and although both of them wanted to continue the discussion Mutt's barks were to be heeded. They went to the doorway to stay out of the rain and saw that Brandon was rowing back after dropping off Martha. But Mutt was frantic, pacing back and forth along the railing barking at Brandon as if he had forgotten something.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – 12****TH**** ENTRY:**

They helped Brandon on board and as he was tying the rowboat to Jenny they asked if everything was alright at the house. "Yes, I checked everything when I first got there. No walkers inside or out. Helped Martha pack and load some things in her canoe."

Mutt had stopped barking but he was still pacing the rail, watching the house. "This is breaking my heart," Roxanne said. "I think he wants to stay with Martha."

"Take control of your dog, Roxanne", Lucky said. "If we left him with Martha he would be doing the same thing on shore as he saw us pull away in the morning." Roxanne remembered him saying something similar to her when she was hiding her car at The Park and he had just seen her kill two walkers. When he walked up to her Mutt had stepped in-between them. "Call off your dog, Roxanne", he had said. That was the first time he had put his hands on her.

She took Mutt by the collar and had to literally drag him into the casino. She grabbed a towel to wipe him down talking to him in a soothing voice. "It OK Mutt. Martha is going to join Joe. Martha will be leaving in the morning too." She knelt down before him and held the dog's face in her hands, "She's going to Joe. Joe. You remember Joe, the good man with the stew." Mutt looked at her as if trying to tell if she was lying. Whatever he saw in her eyes he licked her face twice and then went over to his food bowl.

That night they all wore their clothes to bed since Jenny was starting to lurch against her anchor. The gentle swaying of the boat told them that the lake was starting to fill and overflow into the creeks ahead. Mutt threw up his dinner but Roxanne found the swaying to be soothing.

Martha's map showed 2 creeks leading off the southern end of the lake. "Make sure you take the creek on your right when you reach the fork. The one on your left will eventually go underground and you'll be stranded," she had said. Lucky was lying on his cot going over her instructions in his head when Roxanne came to his door with a blanket wrapped around her since her denim jacket was still wet. "Are you cold?" she whispered so as to not wake Brandon who was in the room behind her.

He shook his head and got up to get the blanket at the bottom of his bunk. "No, but you can have my blanket," he walked over to hand it to her. She looked up at him and put her hand over his as he held the blanket out. "That wasn't exactly what I had in mind," she said. "Can we go to Martha's room with the double-bed and cuddle?" He smiled and kissed her on the forehead, "Sure".

He took his jacket off before lying down, wanting to feel Roxanne's arms across his chest as they lay there. He put one blanket across both of them but put the second one just on Roxanne to keep her warm. "I miss our cabin," she said. "God how I hated giving that up. It was all too brief, that false sense that things were getting back to normal." She put her arm across him and snuggled into his arm. She could hear his heart beginning to beat faster and hoped that he could be patient with her just a little longer.

"It will be alright Lucky. You see I had this stupid idea when we were running that we were like the Three Musketeers or something. Together the 3 of us could beat anything, outsmart anyone, that we would always be fighting side by side, watching each other's back and if one of us fell that they would not be left on the battlefield."

"Roxanne, I'm so sorry."

"No, no it wasn't your fault, Lucky. It was kid stuff, really." He could feel her shrug her shoulders. "At the point when I was taken down I was so hungry and weak that if they had killed me it would have been a favor. I have never felt such despair as when we were on the run and like amateurs we became incapable of feeding ourselves. But the food just wasn't there and the walkers were always behind us."

She was silent for a moment and Lucky felt it best that he let her talk. He had to find out what was going on in her head, hiding ammo like that, packing her gear long before they had made plans to so do, taking booze to bed with her and always so silent.

"The worst was when they tore my clothes and I knew that you and Brandon were watching from the bushes." He pulled her closer and put his hand in her hair, "Oh Jesus, Roxanne if I could just change that."

"And you didn't come," she went on as if she hadn't heard him. "I realize now that we would all be dead if you had but when I looked over at the bushes and you didn't come, I just looked back up at the sky and prepared to die." He could feel the wetness on his shirt from her tears.

"Roxanne I can never make that up to you."

"You don't need to Lucky. I realize now that it was an impossible situation and that we had overlooked the signs that there were more of them in the gang. We had become sloppy, desperate for food and made a disastrous mistake. Mutt saved us all that day, charging out of the bushes like that and knocking two of them down so I could grab their knife. To be honest I don't even remember the rest, just standing there afterward with blood on me and everyone dead at my feet. Then looking up to see both you and Brandon out of breath with blood on your knives too and realizing that I was still half naked."

"You went away for a long time after that, Roxanne."

"Yes, but I'm slowly coming back."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – 13****TH**** ENTRY:**

They were up at dawn since Jenny was tugging at her anchor, anxious to be away from her moorings. They did not eat breakfast, not knowing how rough it would become on deck or if they would be going into the water. They packed their personal gear in the raft and strapped it with the tarp to protect it against water damage, then tied it to the deck railing to prevent it from sliding off. They all went to the bridge to watch Brandon and to help him navigate, but Roxanne was concerned about Mutt.

"I don't know where to put him so he won't slide around and hurt himself. " Lucky suggested putting him on the bunk since it was a padded cushion but Roxanne wanted Mutt to be near her at all times. She had a rope looped on her belt and would tie it to Mutt if she needed to go overboard or abandon ship.

"Here," Brandon went over to a bottom cupboard and opened the door. "Put Mutt in here, but leave the door open. At least he won't slide from side to side. The only way he would slide out is if the bow tilts up, but it's the best I can do if you want him close to you. You have little faith in me, all this planning to go overboard."

Brandon raised the anchor and lowered Jenny's paddlewheels. They waved at Martha's house in case she was watching, then they were on their way. The first 2 miles were no more than just another day on the Lake, but Brandon commented that Jenny had never been this fast before and that they must be in the current that feeds into the creek. As they approached what appeared to be the end of the lake and another shoreline Lucky said, "There!" pointing to his right. "Over there! I can see the runoff."

Brandon could see white water against the rocks and wondered if his face went just as white. He changed over to the smaller rudders to slow their speed down and turned Jenny into the channel. The ride became rough but as long as he stayed in the middle he was in deep water and he wasn't feeling any bumps or snags on the paddlewheels. His regained his confidence and looked behind him to give Lucky and Roxanne a smile. They both had their hands behind them so Brandon couldn't see that they were holding on to the cabinet rails with white knuckles.

After another mile the creek narrowed causing the water to move faster and become more violent. "I can't slow her down any more than this," Brandon warned them. "We'll need to ride this part out. I can drop the wheels down further and use them as a brake but I don't want to do that unless we are in trouble. Don't want to take the chance of smashing them up by something unseen underwater."

Mutt gave up being knocked from one side of the cupboard to the other and came out in an attempt to reach Roxanne on the other side of the room. His nails couldn't get a grip on the tile floor and he slid off to his right and hit the wall. Roxanne let go of the railing and was thrown toward Mutt but she managed to keep her balance. She reached down to tie the rope that was around her waist to Mutts collar and then held onto the railing as she made her way back to Lucky, keeping the rope short and Mutt close to her.

Suddenly the creek opened up again, the water became calmer and they all smiled at one another, but Lucky still had that hairpin turn in his mind. He would not be able to relax until Brandon had maneuvered that obstacle.

It was getting on to noon and they had been through several portions of the creek that narrowed and then opened again. Everyone was starting to get hungry and Brandon was wishing that he could find a calm place to anchor and rest his arms. Then Brandon saw the hairpin turn looming up ahead. Or rather he saw a wall of rocks in front of him and quickly calculated that he needed to make a direct right-hand turn without Jenny swinging too wide and hitting those rocks.

He knew that they were approaching too fast and at the last moment he released Jenny's paddlewheels to act as a brake. When the paddles hit the water the bow lifted out of the water and then jerked around to the right. Everyone was thrown to the floor but Brandon held onto the wheel and quickly pulled himself up so he could see over the bow. Lucky and Roxanne stayed on the floor with their back against the cupboard that Mutt once occupied. They looked up to watch Brandon's face and hoped to brace themselves in time if a look of horror came over him. Roxanne pulled on Mutts rope until he was beside her where she held him against her chest.

Brandon struggled with the wheel 2 more times, spinning it left and then right. He reached over to raise the paddles not wanting to keep them in the water in case there were hidden sandbars. After a while things appeared to be calmer; Jenny wasn't rocking as badly and Brandon's maneuvers at the wheel weren't as drastic. They saw him squinting his eyes, "I think I see the railroad tracks up ahead." Both Roxanne & Lucky got up off the floor and turned around to look out over the bow.

"Thank God," Brandon sighed. "I feel like a doctor who just performed successful surgery. Could someone wipe my brow, please?"

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – ENTRY 14: **

After dropping anchor Roxanne did not wait to eat, saying that she wanted to get Mutt on dry land. She said she would hunt up a squirrel or rabbit and took her crossbow, promising to stay close. She lowered herself down to the rowboat and they handed Mutt down to her, then her staff. Lucky gave her a late season apple to eat while on her search and pushed her off.

Lucky turned to Brandon, "I think we should probably pull the rowboat on board when we leave in the morning rather than tie her to Jenny. We were fortunate that the rowboat was on the right side of Jenny when we took that hairpin turn, otherwise it would have smashed up on the rocks when we swung out." They watched Roxanne balance her staff in Mutts jaws and begin to row to shore.

Roxanne smiled as she rowed to shore. It felt good to be fully loaded again although she only had 6 shots in her pistol. But just feeling it there against her hip, her crossbow against her back, the new knife in her sheath and Mutt before her with the staff, it gave her a feeling of confidence again.

As soon as she hit shore and took the staff out of Mutts mouth he immediately jumped out of the rowboat and went under the bridge to do his business. She pulled the rowboat out of the water and waved to the guys still on deck. She climbed the bank to the top of the tracks and looked both ways, waiting for Mutt to catch up with her, then she loaded an arrow. She didn't see movement of walkers, people or animals on the tracks but she wanted to be ready. It was rather serene listening to the birds and seeing the change of colors in the fall foliage. She heard geese honking and looked up to see a flight passing over.

Mutt caught up to her and she looked down once more at the men to see that Lucky was getting his fishing rods out. "Well Mutt, I don't see any buildings on either side so I guess it doesn't matter which way we go. Let's try west." They had walked perhaps a quarter mile when she could see the backyard of someone's home extending to the tracks. She knelt in the bushes for some time watching the house but did not see movement in or around the property. There was an asphalt road in front of the house that looked as if it might travel along the tracks. If that was the case then there could be several homes along this stretch of road. She had not brought her backpack with her, carrying only a plastic bag to tie to her waist if she had snared a rabbit or squirrel.

She wanted to check out the home and if it held supplies then she would look for more bags, or use a pillowcase. She saw a child's red wagon and decided that if it was a good haul she could use that too. She did not like crossing the open back yard since she was in full view of anyone who could be in the house. She crouched and ran to the steps of the backdoor and tried the door handle but it was locked. She went around the side of the house and noticed low windows at ground level which meant there was a basement. She peered in but it was too dark to see anything other than a furnace and hot water heater. She cursed herself for not bringing her flashlight and for being so sloppy. She glanced at Mutt but he was not showing signs of danger so she went around to the front door only to find that it was locked too.

She looked up and down the highway expecting to see a car come along at any moment and knew it was a silly thought but she could not bring herself to break into the front of the house out in the open like this. She went back to the basement windows and kicked one in with her boot then waited to see if the noise brought trouble. She looked at Mutt one last time and then made the crawl through the narrow opening and reached back to retrieve her crossbow. "I'll open the back door for you Mutt, I don't want you crawling through the glass," she whispered. "The back door, Mutt" and pointed which way he should go.

Her eyes adjusted to the dim room and she saw the stairs which she cautiously followed up to the kitchen. She moved the curtains aside on the kitchen window to see Mutt waiting on the steps for her and unlocked the door to let him in but quickly relocked it behind him. From what she could see in the kitchen someone was still living here. There was the smell of food cooked recently and several bottles of water on the counter plus the smell of cigars. The place made her nervous and she wanted to get out quickly, only taking a few supplies and leaving the rest. She would not go further down the tracks to check for more homes deciding instead to go directly back to the boat.

She looked around the corner of the kitchen to see Mutt in a hallway off the living room scratching at a bedroom door. She walked up to the door and put her ear to it but could not hear any movement. She reached down and slowly turned the knob but it was locked. Mutt continued to scratch at the door so Roxanne stepped away and readied her crossbow, "Hello? Is anyone there?" she said.

She heard a gasp, "Oh, thank god, thank god. I heard the scratching and thought it was a walker. Please help me before he comes back. HURRY!"

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – ENTRY 15**

"HURRY! I can't get to the door to help you. I'm tied up," the woman's voice pleaded.

Roxanne had never kicked a door down in her life and she wasn't doing very well at it this first time. She slung the crossbow across her back and braced her hands on each side of the wall to kick at the latch. "Mutt, back up. You're in my way." On the third attempt the door finally broke its lock and swung partially open. She quickly brought her crossbow forward for she could only see part of the room and did not know if she was walking into another trap.

"Quickly, he'll be back any moment."

Roxanne nudged the door with her foot so it would open further and saw a woman in her late 20's tied spread-eagle on the bed. She was fully dressed in a printed skirt and a white tank top with long blond hair and a tan that did not seem to come from working in the sun. She was tugging at her restraints, pleading, "Quickly, quickly," but Roxanne ignored her and walked over to the closet door. Keeping the sights up on her crossbow she pulled the door open but other than a few clothes it was empty. Then she got down on her knees and looked under the bed.

"What are you looking for? I told you it was just me. What are you waiting for? He'll kill us both." Roxanne lowered the cross bow and began to cut the ropes from the headboard. "How many are there?" she asked.

"Just one."

"Is he armed? Does he have a gun?"

"Just a knife, but he's real quick with that. I've seen him throw it to pin a squirrel against a tree before it could move. And he….he killed my neighbor that way, by throwing it and… and…. then he kidnapped me."

Roxanne moved to the foot of the bed and began cutting the ropes. "Which way does he come in, kitchen or living room?"

"The kitchen, why?"

"Because we're going to wait for him."

The woman gasped and got off the bed after Roxanne cut the last rope, "Are you out of your mind? He's a murderer, he'll kill us both, and he'll have your head split open with that knife before you pull the trigger on that crossbow. I'm telling you, he's quick and he's canny. He will feel it as soon as he walks in the house."

Roxanne smiled, "Then I will need to kill him as soon as he opens the door, won't I? Are those windows nailed down?"

The girl went over to check and shook her head, "No, but he'll see that they are open from the road and will get suspicious. Why can't we just leave?" At that moment they both heard a motorcycle in the distance. "Oh shit, oh shit" the woman started to panic.

"Stay in the room with Mutt," Roxanne instructed. "Don't make a sound, don't whimper, don't even sniffle, do you understand?" The woman covered her mouth with both hands and nodded her head. "If something goes wrong Mutt will attack the guy giving you an opportunity to make a break for it. Go behind the house to the railroad tracks and go south. You'll see a boat moored with 2 guys on it. They'll take you in."

Roxanne went to the living room and put her back against the wall dividing the kitchen from the living room and listened as the motorcycle approached and turned into the driveway. She planned to swing around the door frame from the living room as soon as she heard the back door open and pull the trigger on the crossbow, but at that moment she happened to look across the room and saw her reflection in the front door. He would see that reflection as soon as he opened the back door. She quickly sidestepped further down the living room until her reflection was gone, but the position was tricky. She would need to wait until he walked into the living room and if he was as good as the girl said, he could have already detected her by then.

She heard the backdoor unlock and then open but not being able to stay in place waiting for him she started to side step toward the center of the living room so that the kitchen would slowly came into view. She could see the refrigerator, another step and she could see the window, another step and… his back came into view. At the exact moment that she pulled the trigger on the crossbow he turned and threw his knife. It was her reflexes that saved her because she raised the crossbow in front of her face after pulling the trigger and his knife knocked the weapon out of her hands. She quickly drew her gun but her arrow had found its mark and he was already crumbling to his knees, gasping for breath.

"You can come out now," Roxanne called to the woman. Ignoring the laboring man on the floor Roxanne went around the kitchen tossing food items and other supplies on the table. "What's your name, anyway?" she asked while her back was turned going through the cupboards. Upon not getting an answer she stopped rummaging and turned to see the woman standing in the doorway staring down at the man holding his chest with Roxanne's arrow still embedded in him. "Hey YOU!" Roxanne yelled and threw a plastic bag at her. "Start bagging some of that stuff up. I've been gone long enough and I should get back to the boat."

The woman slowly walked up to the table and started bagging things. "You're not….you're not going to leave him like that are you?" Roxanne looked at her and then went over to the man and put her boot on his chest. Once she pulled the arrow out the man stopped struggling to breathe and lay motionless. She went into the living room to pick up her crossbow and saw the Bowie knife embedded in the handle. "Do you know how to use a knife?" she called out to the girl. "Did you have any weapons on you at all when he captured you?"

Roxanne went to the bedroom and opened the closet again. "Are these clothes yours?" She pulled a pillowcase off the bed and began stuffing clothes into it. She checked the dresser but it was empty of undergarments. She was becoming annoyed with the constant need to yell at this girl to get her attention since her questions were always met with silence. She walked back out to the kitchen to see the girl still slowly putting supplies into a bag but her eyes were riveted on the dead man. Roxanne walked over to her and said, "What's the big deal with him? You must have seen plenty of people die by now."

The girl jumped at Roxanne's voice and closed the bag. Roxanne could see that she was starting to sweat and could smell the fear on her. "He'll turn. You didn't finish it."

Roxanne shrugged, "I only have 6 bullets and I'm not wasting one on him. I have a hatchet but I'm not going to become bloody by bashing his head in. If you have everything ready we can leave now and lock him in, unless…." She turned the Bowie knife and held it out to the girl, "unless you want to do it. Just stab him under the chin to the back of his head."

The girl backed away and put her hands behind her back, "Me? Oh, no I couldn't. My neighbor always killed the walkers." Great, Roxanne thought. A virgin to killing. At that moment the man started to twitch. Roxanne opened the back door, shoved the bags into the girl's arms and had to practically drag her past the man because she was so frozen with fear.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 8 – ENTRY 16:**

Roxanne picked up the staff that she had left at the bushes and started walking back along the tracks. Every now and then she would turn to make sure the woman was following. She noticed the woman was wearing thin slippers and was having difficulty walking over the rocks and rails so she stopped to let the girl catch up. "Why slippers?" she asked.

"He took my shoes away from me so I couldn't run." She was hugging the bag of supplies to her chest and didn't look up at Roxanne.

"What's your name?"

"Terry."

"How old are you?"

"22"

"And you've never killed a walker before?" Roxanne started walking again. "Have you lived in an attic for the past year?" She knew she was being sarcastic but it hadn't been a good day.

"My place is 50 miles the other way."

"If you want to go fine, but I can't take you there. My friends are on the creek up ahead and we still have a dangerous journey ahead of us. Besides, what's left back there?"

"Nothing, I guess. My parents went out and never came back. Little by little people started leaving and not coming back until it was just my neighbor and me. It was just a small town. I worked behind the counter of the video rental store. Never been anywhere, not even New Orleans."

"OK, Terry you may feel that I am being blunt but if you are going to travel with us, then I need to know your capabilities and what you don't know you will need to learn fast. There are only 3 of us and it is hard enough keeping ourselves alive. You can't look to us for protection like your neighbor provided for you."

"I can shoot. I'm a good shot."

"That's great, but bullets are rare. Most of the fighting now is hand to hand combat. Knives, hammers, axes, pitchforks, baseball bats, could you kill someone with one of those?"

"You mean walkers?"

"No, I mean people, humans." Terry stopped and looked up at Roxanne for the first time. "I don't know if I can travel with you."

Roxanne turned around and came back, practically getting in Terry's face. "How long were you with that guy?"

Terry looked back down at the bag in her arms, "A week."

"Did he rape you?" Terry nodded her head. "Are you telling me that not once in that week that you didn't think of killing him, wanted to kill him, _ached_ to kill him?"

"I just wanted to run away."

Roxanne stepped back and sighed. She took the bag of groceries from Terry and said, "Walk with me further before you decide." She could see Mutt sniffing the bushes up ahead and called to him. "I can't kill anything for you right now Mutt, I'm too busy."

"When I was traveling alone I met a man who attacked me with the intention of rape and I managed to kill him" Roxanne said. "It was the first human I ever killed and regardless of why he attacked me that kill devastated me. But more recently I was attacked by a gang. I had 4 of them holding me down while a 5th prepared….prepared…..and 2 more standing in line. I managed to kill 2 of them that I remember killing on my own, and 1 that Mutt held down while I killed him. My friends got the others but Mutt was the star that day helping them out too."

Roxanne stopped and cupped Terry's chin in her hand, forcing her to look up, "I never felt so much _pleasure_ as when I ran my knife across their throat, or into their belly. Are you telling me that you don't have it in you to feel that type of hatred, that type of anger toward someone who raped you?"

Terry stepped away, "It's not what I've been taught, not how I was raised."

"But did you _feel the anger _in you, Terry? The hate, the thought of killing him?"

"YES!" Terry shouted and then started to cry.

Roxanne smiled and put her arm around Terry's neck, "Come on child. There's hope for you yet."

**END OF CHAPTER EIGHT**


	9. Chapter 9

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER NINE – 1****ST**** ENTRY:**

Lucky had caught 2 catfish in the fast moving water and was anxious for Roxanne to return. She had been gone for a couple of hours and he was getting worried. At that moment Brandon walked up to join him at the railing and said, "She should have been back by now. Do we go look for her?"

"There's Mutt," Lucky said. Mutt came trotting down the hillside, making sure not to slip and jumped into the rowboat. Shortly after Roxanne's head appeared, then her shoulders as she approached from the tracks. But then a blond head appeared next to Roxanne confusing both Brandon & Lucky. "Oh shit." Brandon said.

"Damn it. I hope she didn't pick up any stragglers," Lucky said as Roxanne pointed down the hill toward the row boat. The girl starting feeling her way down the hill when Lucky noticed that she was not wearing the type of shoes or clothes for survival in today's world. The girl slipped and fell and a bag of clothes spilled out. Roxanne went down to help her and to retrieve the bag, but the descent was precarious for Roxanne since she was carrying her staff and a bag of groceries.

"What in the world do we have here?" Brandon asked. Lucky just shook his head. Roxanne picked the girl up by her arm, stuffed the clothes back in the bag and slammed it into the girl's chest so that she would carry it. She put the girl in the center of the boat with the bags, "I've never been on the water before," they heard her say. Brandon sighed heavily as they continued to watch.

Roxanne walked into the water past the girl and balanced her staff in her hands before handing it to Mutt who clamped his teeth on it. "Oh cool", the girl said. Then Roxanne pushed off shore and began to row while the girl held onto the sides of the boat.

Once the rowboat was unloaded of supplies, women and dog, Roxanne made introductions. "This is Brandon and this is Lucky. They are gentlemen and will not harm you. You need not fear them, besides you'll be bunking with me. This is Terry. She has never killed before and has always been protected. We will need to do some training."

"When did you last eat, Terry?" Lucky asked. "I caught some catfish and we were just waiting on Roxanne before frying them up."

"Not since noon yesterday. He was gone all morning looking for more supplies," Terry answered.

"He?" Lucky asked, raising his eyebrows and looking at Roxanne.

"Terry was a hostage," Roxanne said. "I took care of it. We won't have anyone looking for us. If you could get dinner started I'll get Terry settled." She took Terry, who was still clutching her bag of clothes to the kitchen and rummaged in a drawer pulling out several plastic bags.

"Come with me." She took Terry to her room and told her that the top bunk would be hers. "Mutt also sleeps in here. You aren't allergic to dogs are you?" Terry shook her head. "OK, this is what I need you to do. Tomorrow we are pulling anchor and it will be a rough ride. Everything we own is wrapped in plastic to keep it dry and put into a raft. So keep out what you want to wear tomorrow and wrap the rest in these plastic bags. I wish there had been other places I could have searched to find you some shoes and jeans. You're much smaller than I am and I doubt the men have a belt. Here," she reached up to the top bunk and got the cord that she had planned on using to tie Mutt to her. She measured out a piece and cut it off, handing it to Terry. "There's a pair of jeans in the drawer under my bunk. It's the only other pair that I have but I guess this is an emergency." She walked to the door and turned around aware that once again, Terry hadn't said anything to her. "Are you OK?" Terry nodded but did not look Roxanne in the face. "Come out to dinner when you're ready."

When Roxanne came back to the kitchen she pulled out a chair from the table and collapsed into it with a big sigh. "We have a 50-50 chance of her becoming another KC." The men stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her. "That guy had her for a week, raping her and God only knows what else. Sometimes she goes far, far away and you need to yell at her to get her attention. She could either come out of it like I did…like I'm doing, or she could go deeper into herself like KC. I couldn't leave her there but she's like a child that was hidden in a dungeon somewhere for the last year and can't understand or cope with what's been happening." She looked up at them. "I don't know if she's even capable of killing a walker. After all this time, a year now, anyone who is still alive is an expert on killing. I don't know if I have it in me to start all over again, teaching a novice."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 9 – 2****ND**** ENTRY:**

Terry appeared for dinner in a jean skirt and peasant blouse and stood in the doorway looking embarrassed by her choices. "I'm sorry Roxanne, but I just didn't feel comfortable in your clothes. I felt like a hobo using that rope as a belt."

Roxanne turned her back to continue setting the table, "Well, come over here and sit down to eat. We were just making plans on how to train you." Terry had washed her face and hands, had combed her hair and was looking the proper dinner guest. For someone who hadn't eaten since the day before she showed control in not rushing her food. She noticed Mutt in the corner eating his dog food and remarked, "I know that your dog is important to you, but should he be eating in here with us?"

Brandon started coughing on his food and Lucky saw Roxanne stop with her fork in mid-air. "Terry," Lucky quickly interjected, "we decided that Roxanne will teach you how to defend yourself against walkers. I will teach you how to defend yourself from predators." He wanted to stay away from using the word "kill" since Roxanne had told them of the conversation she and Terry had while walking back. "We only have the one staff and it belongs to Roxanne, but if we find some other materials we can make you one. We would like to get you some clothes and shoes that are more durable since we never know what situations, terrain, or weather conditions we will be in."

"These are the type of things I've always worn," Terry objected. "Except for the slippers."

"We are not always blessed with an opportunity to spend a night inside," Brandon added. "This boat Jenny is a pleasant change for us. Most of the time we are sleeping on the ground, under a tree or in a field somewhere."

"Ewww," Terry whined. "I'm not the camping type of person. Even the guy who kidnapped me always found a house for us. Some of them were dirty or had busted windows and all I could think of was some spider or mouse crawling over me. Those were the worst."

"Everyone pitches in, Terry" Lucky said. "Everyone earns a place on the team. I understand that you know how to use a gun but bullets are scarce. And I'm not sure that you know when it's necessary to use the rifle and when not to, so we won't be giving you a rifle soon. We can't stop our journey to scavenge at this point, although I realize that you are handicapped by not having the right shoes to at least be able to run. Tomorrow we raise anchor and go the remaining route to Lake Pontchartrain."

"New Orleans?" She was surprised. "But…, but that's where all the walkers were coming from. Why would you go INTO a nest of them? Oh….oh, I KNEW I shouldn't have come with you. I should have stayed on the tracks and walked the other way." At this point she broke down and began to cry covering her face with her hands.

Roxanne stood up, "You're exhausted Terry and still in shock from your ordeal. 'Tomorrow is another day. I'll think about it tomorrow' to take a quote from another southern belle. Why don't you go back to our room and get some rest. We'll be up at dawn tomorrow. And remember, the bottom bunk is mine."

Terry left the room still crying from her fear of going to New Orleans. The 3 of them cleaned up in silence, packing the things they just used in plastic so they could add them to the raft. Finally Roxanne crossed her arms and leaned against the sink, looking at the guys. "What? I gave her a choice; come or don't come. I didn't drag her along against her will. I wasn't trying to be a hero I just found her being abused in an abandoned house. What would you have done?" The question went unanswered and she was met with silence.

"She was much more open with you guys than with me. Maybe she's more comfortable with men; maybe she's the type who likes to win a man's approval and will take defense lessons seriously if you are training her" Roxanne said.

"Regardless," Brandon said pushing a chair up to the table. "No training will be done now, no stops along the way because the creek will soon go back down again. We have until tomorrow to break out of the creek and into the canals where Jenny will be in safe water level again."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 9 – 3****RD**** ENTRY**

That night Roxanne and Lucky stood looking over the railing after Brandon had retired for the night. It took the 3 of them to haul the rowboat in and secure it to the deck. Not being sailors they did not know if they were doing the right thing, but they would have lost the rowboat if Brandon had hit the rocks on their first leg of the journey. They also knew that if Jenny cracked up and went down that both the raft and rowboat would go down with her if they could not cut them loose in time.

"Reminds me of the cabin and how we used to sit on the porch at night," Lucky said.

Roxanne smiled, "Well if Brandon is right we could be sitting on the deck of an ocean liner or a casino looking out over the ocean at night. Can't say that I am comfortable with the idea though. This is hurricane season and any safety we found would be short lived. But I'm all out of ideas. We can't continue as we have for the last 3 months. We were close to dying. Perhaps I was all wrong in thinking that you could stay in one place long enough to grow crops since the number of walkers has grown to gigantic proportions." She turned to Lucky, "Do you think…, do you think that since we saw them moving west, chasing us the whole time, that the east coast would be clear now? Maybe your idea of Charleston would still work if Jenny could get us around Florida and up the east coast."

Roxanne's hand was on the rail and Lucky reached out to put his hand over hers, "If Brandon's idea doesn't work I'd say that would be the next idea on the list. Unless we meet up with someone who has a better idea, or we find a permanent place for the winter. Chen Lee said that Florida was toast and I got the impression that he meant it was filled with walkers on the move. He said they would soon find us, and he was right about that so maybe your theory isn't so wrong."

They turned to look out to shore again and Roxanne shivered under her denim jacket. Lucky stepped closer and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. She lifted his hand and put it against her cheek. If Terry hadn't been on board Lucky would have pushed the issue a little further but he felt Roxanne wasn't ready to have a man's hands on her yet. Now that they had talked about the past he was feeling more comfortable being around Roxanne as a potential lover again and not just as a team partner. But sometimes just standing next to Roxanne was overwhelming and he wanted nothing more than to take her, not knowing whether either of them would be alive through the next day.

"I'm going to hit the sack," Lucky said. "Since Terry took the extra blanket do you want mine?"

Roxanne shook her head, "I'm going to stay up a little longer and pack a few more things. I'll be alright, you go ahead."

Roxanne made several rounds on deck, not really having any duties to perform just wanting some time alone to think. She hoped that Terry would surprise her and would adapt to using a weapon and would learn it quickly. But it appeared that Terry was looking for a protector and would not stand beside that person to fight with him. She wanted someone to hide behind while they put their life out there to keep her alive. If that was Terry's desire, then Roxanne planned on dumping her on the first people they found. But finding people was becoming rare too, other than the loner spread out here and there.

She went back to the corridor and saw a faint light coming from her room. Terry had brought in the oil lamp and put it on the end table. Mutt was lying down on the floor and looked up but did not move when Roxanne approached. Terry was in the upper bunk but was awake and watching the door. Lucky was still awake in his bunk but she was not aware of that. He found that he couldn't sleep anymore until he knew that Roxanne was in her room.

Roxanne sat down on her bunk to take her boots off, "Terry I don't want you to be afraid of New Orleans. We won't dock if we see walkers on shore. We will not be putting ourselves in unnecessary harm, nor are we stupid. If there are walkers on the shore we just keep going and stay on Jenny."

"Lucky and Brandon seem to be nice men," Terry said. "They both said goodnight from the doorway. You said they were gentlemen and I can see that. I feel safe with them around."

Roxanne stood up and turned around to face Terry on her bunk. "The one called Lucky, he's mine. Hands off." Lucky heard this and clamped his hands over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Terry sat up and protested, "I'm not interested in any man right now, Roxanne. I've had enough of men for a while."

Roxanne went over to snuff out the lamp, "Just putting it out there. I've had trouble before and I don't want to kill another woman because of it." The room went into darkness as she put out the lamp. Lucky turned over and put the pillow over his head so Roxanne wouldn't hear his chuckling.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 9 – 4****TH**** ENTRY: **

Roxanne and Lucky looked at one another and grasped the cabinet railing behind them as Brandon raised the anchor. They had followed the same procedure and not eaten breakfast before their journey, but this time Mutt was not housed in the lower cabinet on the bridge. Roxanne had tied Mutt to a rope so short that he could not move from her hip where she had attached the end to her belt. Both Roxanne and Terry wore life jackets although Roxanne had protested saying that she had learned enough swimming to get her to shore.

It had rained the night before and the creek was swelling again which Brandon was thankful for. He had been worried all night that Jenny's bottom would drag and break open. It wasn't long after Brandon started Jenny when the creek narrowed and they hit faster water again. Jenny began to roll from side to side as the creek smashed against it banks and was thrown back in again. Brandon could see the first hair-pin turn coming up but Jenny's speed was manageable this time and he was able to use the paddlewheel to help him make the turn. The rushing water gushed over the deck when he made the turn, throwing Jenny sideways but he was able to avoid the rocks.

"Woo-hoo," Terry let out a yell. "This is like a rollercoaster ride! Nice going Brandon!"

They kept at this pace for another hour, being tossed from side to side watching the water roll over the deck at times, but Brandon was doing a good job of keeping her intact and was boosted by Terry's admiration of the fun that he was providing her. Finally Lucky said, "Jesus, does this creek ever end? Or at least widen to a calm spot where we can stop for a while?"

"Martha only mentioned the railroad tracks as a stopping place," Brandon shook his head without taking his eyes off the creek. "Then the 2 hair-pin turns on the second day. She didn't mention a 3rd day so I'm hoping we will only be on the creek for a short time after the last turn. Yesterday my arms were exhausted by noon and I certainly don't want to do this until nightfall." There was a loud scrapping sound and Jenny lurched violently to the left. "S.h..it!" Brandon yelled and reached over to raise her paddles. "That was the haul. If I notice any change in how she handles then we've got a leak."

They waited with baited breath expecting Brandon to tell them that they needed to prepare to abandon ship. Roxanne knew that she would not recognize if the boat was damaged unless one end tilted badly and did not stabilize again. She found that she was concentrating on how many times they leveled out and not on how many times Terry gave a yelp of excitement with her childish pleasure.

It seemed an eternity before Brandon said, "Last turn coming up and I need to put her paddles back down so hold on." Brandon lowered them to the speed of docking so they wouldn't hit bottom but he could see that it wasn't slowing them enough to make the turn. He took a chance and dropped them lower to use as a brake. This time they were prepared to be thrown but Jenny did not jerk as hard as that first hair-pin turn of the day before. Only Mutt lost his balance and would have gone flying across the room except for the rope that kept him from sliding more than a foot from Roxanne's feet. He decided not to get up and stayed down on his belly.

It was another hour before Brandon said, "I think I see open water ahead." Jenny shot out of the creek like a bullet, almost going airborne and landed with a splash in calm water. She rocked from side to side, then stabilized and began to slowly paddle forward. Brandon turned around to look at the crew and everyone started laughing and patting him on the back.

But their joy was short-lived as they began to hear an occasional "thump" against Jenny's haul. Brandon quickly looked over the bow and his face went white. "Jesus, what are those? Are they bodies?" Lucky and Roxanne ran outside the bridge to the railing and looked down immediately covering their nose from the stench. The water was the color of grey with a thick film of white matter floating on the surface. Above that was a wavering haze of fumes. They saw a few bodies around the boat and then looked up to scan the surface surrounding them where they saw hundreds of bodies, some still moving, the closer ones reaching an arm out toward them. "Oh God," Roxanne whispered, her face going white.

Lucky turned her away and led her back to the Bridge. "We can't stay here," he said to Brandon. "This water is infected. We can't live on it or fish in it. We need to move on."

Terry began to cry, "I told you, I told you!"

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 9 – 5****TH**** ENTRY:**

"Right now we need to make sure we don't get stuck on anything," Brandon said. "If one of those bodies gets caught in the wheel we can't dive under to pry it loose. Roxanne, you and Lucky get 2 poles and go to the bow. Use the poles to push off any body that looks like it may go under the boat. I'll see if I can find a way through this where they aren't so many."

Roxanne told Mutt to stay on the Bridge with Brandon and tied a kerchief around her mouth and nose. Then she grabbed one of the hooks used to haul in fish and leaned over the rail. It was difficult on some of the walkers because they were so bloated or decomposed that the pole went through them. Roxanne kept looking up at her surroundings but could not see shore in any direction and then realized that the dead bodies were creating a foggy mist that hovered over the water. More than anything she feared infection not knowing what chemicals a walker's body would give off. Sometimes they had to yank the pole out of a walker's hand that was still alive enough to grasp it. She felt the boat turn to her left and hoped that Brandon had a better view from the Bridge.

Brandon was starting to sweat, feeling responsible for getting them into this mess. Terry continued to weep behind him but Mutt stayed at Brandon's legs as if encouraging him. Brandon had also noticed the mist hovering above the water, making it more difficult to navigate. He frantically looked from side to side hoping to see fresher water when it appeared that there was open water on his left. As he entered that portion of the Lake the mist cleared and he could make out the shoreline with a landscape of buildings. He breathed a sigh of relief and called in Lucky & Roxanne.

"We need to make plans," Brandon said. "This portion of the lake is clearer, but not safe nor suitable. I know we haven't eaten all day but I have lost my appetite. I know that the Inner Harbor Canal runs off the Lake and that will lead into the Mississippi but I don't know where it is. I can cruise along the shoreline and hope that we find it today, or find a safe place where we can dock for the night and take up residence in a building somewhere."

"Why don't we get closer to shore first," Lucky said "and see what the situation is. We're too far away to see if there is walker activity on land and we don't know if we'll run into more patches of mist. That was some horrible stuff we went through, possibly dangerous to our health."

As they got closer to the shore they could see heavy walker activity on the streets and wharves with no break in the herd to allow them to sneak on land. As they went further along the shore they could tell that someone had tried to fortify access to the lake by lining up vehicles on the street to protect the wharves. It appeared to have worked since the wharves in this section of the city did not have walkers on them although they were crowded behind the buses and cars.

"I could dock at one of the wharves," Brandon said, "but it makes me nervous that a herd of walkers are just on the other side of those vehicles."

"Look at all the boats though," Lucky said. "All types of boats and not all of them were made to dock at these wharves. It looks like a gathering of some sort, prearranged to meet here."

"Or," Roxanne said, "because they couldn't get off the lake anywhere else. Possibly were trapped here by the mist; couldn't find the canal you're talking about Brandon. Or perhaps the gates were closed to the canal."

"I told you not to come here!" Terry wailed. "I never should have followed you. I should have gone home."

"Shut up and listen!" Lucky hissed. "Do you hear that? It sounds like people calling. Keep on course Brandon." He opened the cupboard behind him and took out a rifle wrapped in plastic and Roxanne's holster and gun that was wrapped in the same manner. Roxanne's raised her eyebrows since she had packed these things in the raft. "It was just a feeling, Roxanne" Lucky said. "Put it on and we'll go on deck. Bring your staff too." The staff was one thing that she had kept with her in the bridge. "Whoever it is, I want them to think that we are fully armed and to be reckoned with."

They went out on the bridge and saw that they were approaching a two-story casino built on a platform on the lake. There looked to be about 20 people on the balcony and patios all waving at them, instructing them to come their way and dock. No one had a rifle or shotgun but the balcony hid whether anyone was carrying a sidearm. There was a mixture of men, women and children and then suddenly someone shouted, "Roxanne! Roxanne!"

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 9 – 6****TH**** ENTRY:**

Roxanne was shocked to hear her name called and quickly scanned the crowd looking for anyone she should recognize. Then a figure started running down the stairs to the lower platform waving his arms and jumping up and down. "Caleb!" Roxanne screamed. Behind him Roxanne saw Morgan running, trying to catch up. Roxanne looked at Lucky who was ginning, then she turned and yelled into the bridge, "Brandon! Do you see that? Can you dock? Can you dock?" she was beside herself with joy.

"I got it Roxanne," Brandon said. "Hold your horses." Morgan, Caleb and another man wearing a Captains hat ran to the end of a wharf and motioned for Brandon to pull in. The walkers behind the bus became frantic with the sight of humans and a few of the vehicles started to rock from the herd building up behind them.

The man with Morgan noticed the heavy activity and frantically waved Brandon in. "Quickly, quickly we need to get out of sight. They will calm down once they don't see us." He caught the rope that Lucky threw to tie off the boat. "Leave your gear here. You can come back for it tonight when they can't see you. Say your hello's inside. Quickly," he said as he reached out for Roxanne's hand and was startled when a dog appeared and jumped on the wharf behind her. "Morgan take them in and get them settled." He reached out for the 2nd rope that Brandon threw to tie Jenny down.

"Don't leave me!" Terry screamed.

"Shush Terry," Brandon said. "We'll go together." Once the man had Jenny tied down Brandon took Terry's arm and together they jumped to the wharf. The man took Terry's other arm and they ran up the wharf to the stairs to enter the casino.

Morgan was laughing and hugging Lucky and Roxanne who had tears streaming down her face. She knelt down and hugged Caleb to her, Mutt jumping all around them. "As soon as someone said there was a woman with a staff," Morgan said, "I ran out hoping it was you but expecting to be disappointed."

Caleb stepped away from Roxanne wiping his eyes with his sleeve, "I'm crying like a damn fool," he said. Then Brandon walked in. Neither Morgan nor Caleb knew that Brandon was piloting the boat since he was in the shadows while inside the bridge. "Brandon!" Caleb shouted and ran to him. Morgan walked over laughing and slapped Brandon on the back, shaking his hand.

In all the confusion no one noticed that a crowd had gathered. Once Caleb ran to Brandon, Roxanne stood up and starting hearing their remarks which not only confused her but plummeted her hopes that they had found shelter.

"Oh, thank God you are here."

"You have saved our lives."

"you must help us."

"We need to get out of here."

Roxanne turned to the Captain who had tied down the boat and he caught her look of confusion. "All right everyone," he said. "Back off and give the folks a chance to catch their breath. You folks," he waved to them "let me take you to the kitchen so we can talk and I'll explain how things are working here. Frank, Smoky, Allen if you 3 will come with me please."

For the first time Roxanne looked around and saw that they were in a lounge of couches, over-stuff chairs and end-tables with huge artificial flower arrangements in fancy vases. The Captain took them to a door beside an empty bar which opened into a formal dining room with windows on each side. Going through that they entered the kitchen where he introduced them to Gretchen. "If you could get these folks something to eat and drink Gretchen," the Captain said, indicating that the 4 of them should sit in a booth. The 3 men sat facing them at the counter where Gretchen was working and Morgan and Caleb got into a booth behind them but Caleb turned around so he could lean over the back, looking at Roxanne. Roxanne made sure that Terry slid to the inside so that she could quickly get out with her gun if necessary. Since Lucky still had his rifle he had Brandon slide to the inside of the booth.

The Captain pulled up a chair and introduced himself, "Name's Toby and I run a tugboat that is now out of gas which is my own damn fault. In fact all the boats that you saw docked are out of gas since everyone contributed their gas to me so I could cruise the Mississippi looking for more stragglers. We thought we had a haven here, looting all the other casinos on the lake for food and water, all the supplies we needed. As you can see we blocked off the entrance to the casino and along the wharves so people could get to and from their boats."

"But now the Lake has gone bad, even toxic and we hadn't counted on that. The instruments on my tugboat haven't worked in a long time, but I was always able to gauge the gas knowing how much she could run off of and how far. I badly miscalculated on my last run and barely made it back. But now I've stranded these people here and I feel responsible for it since I directed anyone I met in a boat to come here and brought others who were on foot."

Gretchen came over with a roasted duck and plates followed with a bowl of crawfish and cold slaw. "Don't worry," Toby said. "None of it came from the lake and I've been picking late vegetables from an abandoned estate up river." Roxanne broke off a leg and handed it to Mutt under the table.

"If you're looking to get gas out of Jenny, we're running manual. Have never had gas" Brandon said.

"No," Toby said, "Where you come in is getting us to gas. That's where Frank, Smoky and Allen come in. There's a barge stranded in the Inner Harbor. Doesn't have enough gas in it to run on its own, but enough for my tug boat and some of the other boats. We need to get these people off this casino and it's going to take more than 1 boat to do that".

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 9 – 7****TH**** ENTRY:**

After dinner Brandon and Toby moved over to the counter with the 3 men to work out the details of retrieving gas from the stranded barge. Terry said she wanted to meet some of the other people and went back out to the lounge but before leaving Toby called her over. "You have some people out there who are near panic. They will be asking you questions. Just tell them that we are working out the plans and that you found it boring so you left." He then turned to Frank and asked him to find Larry and Butch. "Have them go down and guard the riverboat that they came in on. No one is to board that boat, you understand."

He looked up at Brandon, "Most people here are good people and respect property of anyone on board. But there are some that panic easily. It's just precautionary on my part to ward off any trouble."

"Yeah, we've met a few like that. Terry is one. We just met her. The other is dead," Brandon said think of Ed.

"How did you get here Morgan?" Lucky asked. "We waited at the farmhouse. What went wrong?"

Morgan shook his head, "As soon as we made the turn onto the highway, Gene had a heart attack. The truck was into the turn and it just rolled over into the ditch. Everybody was pretty banged up and it took us some time to get the doors open and crawl out. We couldn't save Gene and Sally was beyond despair, screaming and crying." He paused and everyone was silent for a moment. "It….it didn't help to leave him there and her hearing the shot when I made sure he wouldn't turn. Sally stopped eating after that and became terribly thin. We got caught in a downpour one night and she caught pneumonia which she was too weak to fight off. We did manage to bury her though."

"It was just me & Dad after that," Caleb said. "We never saw any other people the whole time until we saw Captain Toby on the River. We kept to the highways hoping someone would come along."

"We hated leaving all the ammo and supplies in the overturned truck but we took only what we could carry" Morgan continued. "We could hear the explosions off in the distance and knew that was Randy with his grenades but then everything became dead quiet. When we reached the farmhouse we could see it was surrounded by walkers, most of them trying to get into the barn. We were afraid it was you trapped in there but we didn't hear any gunfire and I couldn't handle that many walkers alone. We kept to the highway and walked past the farmhouse and only a couple of them saw us." 

"That was Randy in the barn," Lucky said. "Cami didn't make it out and Randy was bitten along the way. Like your situation with Gene, we were not able to bury Randy. We crossed the highway when we left the farmhouse and went into the dried cornfields across the road. We never took highways, always staying in the woods. We couldn't imagine what held you up and could only guess that there were walkers at the entrance and that you couldn't get through."

Brandon's meeting broke up and Toby came over to the group with Brandon following. "I must ask that your group spend the night here at the casino. I can't let you go back to your boat other than to get sleeping gear. If people see you board they will panic and think that you are abandoning us. You are our only hope at this point. I will have people guarding it all night, in fact the 2 of you can be on one shift if you like."

Lucky and Roxanne were suspicious of that idea but Morgan spoke up, "These are good people standing before you." He nodded to Toby's group. "You can trust them."

"I'm going out to make the announcement as to what our plans are," Toby said. "Morgan after you finish visiting with your friends will you show them Cabin B1 & B2. Let us know when you want to get your gear and I'll have Frank & Smoky escort you. Can't let Morgan go with you or they'll think you are skipping out with your friends. Some of them now mistrust me since I made that disastrous error in fuel so I can't go with you or they may think I'm skipping out on them. They'll be comfortable seeing Frank & Smoky with their rifles escorting you."

They looked up at Frank &Smoky, both huge men who looked as if they were still working out at the gym. Smoky, a black man had his arms crossed and was grinning, "We're pu. -cats really but our size makes people pay attention." They followed Toby out to stand behind him as a force while he made his announcement.

After the 3 of them left Roxanne said, "Morgan if it wasn't for you vouching for them I would be looking for a way out right now because I have all kinds of red flags going up."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER NINE – 8****TH**** ENTRY:**

"I understand Roxanne but"..…Morgan began but was interrupted by Roxanne.

"No, you don't understand. You don't know what we've been through to get here. You've been here 2 months already. We were in the woods for 3 months, fighting walkers, fighting people who wanted to kill us for our supplies, starving to the point that we could hardly walk. Stealing"…

"Roxanne!" Lucky broke in and stopped her. "I'm sure Morgan had the same problems on the road, Roxanne," Lucky said gently then turned to Morgan. "Let's just say that we are more suspicious now than when we were at The Park and leave it at that. Now, Toby said something about showing us to our rooms?"

"Yes," Morgan said as he slid out of the booth. He pointed to the kitchen door," we will go back to the promenade deck and take the stairs to the upper floor." He let them go ahead of him while Caleb slid out from the booth and whispered, "Dad?" Morgan put his arm around the boy and pulled Caleb to him, "Yes Caleb, I noticed. We will talk about it in private."

Toby had finished making his announcement when the group walked into the lounge. Everyone fell silent and parted to allow them to pass. Then someone began to clap and the others picked up the motion and started clapping. Some yelled out, "Thank you!" Another yelled, "Bless you!"

When they reached the promenade Lucky said, "Brandon, I don't know what you promised them but it better be obtainable or we will either be thrown overboard or lynched. Or, lynched and then thrown overboard."

As they walked along the upper deck, Morgan said "all the rooms are double beds," he opened a door and continued, "so this one will be you Lucky, and Roxanne."

"Uh…no" Lucky said. "This will be Roxanne and Terry. Brandon and I will take the other room."

"Oh…yes I see," Morgan said. "I had forgotten about Terry. Of course."

"We don't know if those are Terry's plans," Roxanne said. "Maybe we should check with her. She doesn't exactly like me and she could have found other friends by now."

"Well ya'll work it out," Morgan said becoming confused and embarrassed. He didn't know if something had happened between Lucky & Roxanne or if the bunking arrangements on the paddleboat did not allow for couples to sleep together, or if it was to protect Terry.

"For right now I think the 3 of us need to talk, Morgan" Lucky said. "Neither Roxanne or I know what Brandon's plans are and we always work together as a team. He needs to fill us in, so if you will excuse us for now and later we will see someone about escorting us to Jenny."

"Alright Brandon," Lucky said after they sat down. It was a nice room with a double bed, an unusable bathroom, end tables, a dresser, desk and 1 chair. "You want to fill us in on what is planned?"

"It's simple really, no heroics" Brandon said. "Tomorrow me, Smoky, Allen and the Captain will take Jenny out to the barge. Each of them will have a barrel for fuel. The Captain has a pump and he knows where the barge is and at the same time I will learn where the Inner Harbor Canal is. We bring the fuel back and they fill the boats that are selected. Not all the boats will get fuel since people have made friends and will be doubling up. Plus, according to the Captain, not everyone agrees on where to go. Some want to go up the Mississippi to colder weather. Some want to go to that plantation where the Captain is still finding fruit and vegetables. Some want to cross the Gulf and go to the shores of Texas. Seems the only people who don't know where to go from here is us."

They looked at each other in silence. "Lucky I'm sorry to say that the Captain advised against going around Florida to the east coast in Jenny," Brandon said. "He said that Jenny is not made to handle the open sea; that she couldn't handle the current and would be pulled out to sea. I suggested staying close to shore and he said the waves would pull her in and smash her up."

"But she handled that creek so well," Lucky said. "That was a very turbulent current."

"Yes, but the power of the creek was all behind us, pushing us forward" Brandon said. "We couldn't have turned around and gone back up that creek though. Jenny couldn't fight the current going back up. She would have been pushed backwards." There was silence among them again and then Brandon added, "The Captain thinks people could make a go of it at that plantation. There's no way of fortifying it but he said there is little activity of walkers on that side of the Mississippi and most of the time he picked his vegetables without any interruptions. Why don't we just take a look at it before we decide?"

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER NINE – 9****TH**** ENTRY:**

"The Hurley's have a daughter my age and I'll be staying with her tonight," Terry informed them. "So I don't care what sleeping arrangements you make. If you'll just get my few clothes off the boat I'll be OK."

Roxanne and Lucky decided to go to the boat to get their gear since the crowd saw Brandon as the pilot and if he went they may become nervous that he would cast off. There wasn't a problem with Lucky having his rifle or Roxanne wearing her holster although only Frank and Smoky still had ammo for their guns. They decided to leave their 2 boxes of ammo packed away on Jenny. Toby told them to also leave whatever food and supplies they had since the Casinos had been plentiful. "It was only recently that we started to ration, not knowing when we would be able to leave, or if we would be able to leave."

"The Lake turned on us so fast," the Captain said. "I saw the signs and should have taken heed. Again, my mistake. We thought we had it made here yet more and more walkers started going into the Lake, some coming off the shore when they saw us on the decks of the casino. And each time I went out on the tugboat they would come down to the canal and go into the water. Plus each time I came back from a run more walkers would come down into the canal. Eventually their bodies rotted some faster than others depending on what wounds they had. If they had facial or head wounds it appeared that the water filled their skulls faster and they eventually died off. Others, it would take one to two weeks. We stopped fishing in the Lake and that was a large food source taken away from us. Then the Lake turned gray and that hovering mist appeared and that's when the tugboat ran out of gas."

He turned to them as they put the tarps back on the raft and rowboat. "But I haven't seen this happening on the Mississippi, so we should be OK. I've seen a couple of stragglers fall into the water, but the current takes them out to sea so they aren't rotting in that body of water. I'm glad you decided to check out the plantation since Morgan told me how you fortified your last place. Maybe you can come up with some ideas."

Roxanne stood up with her duffle bag and let out a sigh. "That place was overrun. Nothing can stop a herd, Toby. Nothing." Mutt began to whine and nose at the raft, pawing at it. "What?" she asked. "Oh, your dog food. My bad." She reached back down to rummage through the raft looking for a couple of cans to last them for another day. She heard a screech of metal being moved and looked up to see a crowd of walkers pushing against the vehicles lined up on the street. "Jesus Toby, I really don't want to stay on the Casino tonight. What if they break through?"

"They'll settle down as soon as we are out of sight," Toby said. "It's just one more night and then we're outta here. That was our second fear. The crowd of walkers has never this great. It was always manageable. I don't know where they're coming from or how they knew we were here. It's as if they sent out a secret message across the State or something and they all started gathering in New Orleans when the city had already thinned out of walkers."

"We were pushed by herds coming from both the east and north," Lucky said. "Massive herds. I think this is what you are witnessing now. They have caught up with us" he looked at Roxanne and their eyes locked with the same fear.

They heard more metal scrapping the asphalt. "Quickly," Toby said. "Let's get inside."

"I think you should stay with me tonight" Roxanne said as they walked alone on the upper deck to their rooms. "I'm sure Morgan is right that these are all good people but I think it best that they think we are together. Since Terry isn't staying with me that changes things. Don't want anyone to know that I'm alone. And, from what Toby said, we won't be meeting some of these people again. Everyone is splitting up into groups and going their separate way."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 9 – 10****TH**** ENTRY:**

They were unpacking their duffle bags when there was a gentle knock on the door. Gretchen had brought them 2 jugs of water. "This one is for the toilet. It allows only 1 flush. We leave it up to the person as to whether they want to do it in the morning or evening, but they only get 1 flush a day. This one," she held out her right hand, "is for washing. We've had good rainfall lately and accumulated a good supply. Still, each room only gets 1 jug a week for bathing. Most people hang their clothes over the railing when it rains to wash their laundry. But since we will be leaving tomorrow we are splurging a little."

She handed the jugs to Roxanne. "I understand that we will be together as a group. Larry is my husband and we have elected to go with Toby to the plantation. I understand that you have also made that your destination."

"We're going to take a look at it", Roxanne said as she took the jugs. "But we're taking Jenny since she doesn't need gas. Jenny could become very valuable if the supply of gas runs out."

Gretchen nodded, "Well I'm sure I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast. Good night."

Roxanne turned and faced Lucky who was sitting on the side of the bed. "They're flushing their waste into the Lake?"

Lucky shrugged and got off the bed to take the jugs. "Could have holding tanks. I seriously doubt that the Casino would have been given a building permit without holding tanks for waste. Whether they are full or not, I don't care. We are out of here tomorrow regardless of whether their plan is successful or not, even if we need to sneak out at night. Toby said that only Frank & Smokey have bullets and we can handle two people. We can't save everyone."

Lucky went into the bathroom and Roxanne sat down on the edge of the bed. "But we could," she said. Lucky stopped and turned around to look at her. "Save everyone. We could make 2 trips in Jenny and that would get everyone off the Casino. There are women and children here", she looked up at Lucky. "We have done a lot of horrible things to get here Lucky, but we don't need to abandon these people when a little extra effort on our part could save them."

Lucky sat the jugs down and came over to her. "There could be a riot; people could panic on who goes on the first trip and the ones left for the 2nd trip could be convinced that we are never coming back. They could try to rush us. Someone could put a gun to Brandon's head, or Toby's head and demand that they pilot them out of here."

"You and Brandon go on the first trip and Mutt and I will stay for the second trip," she said. "That should convince them that you are coming back. It could work. We would just need to plan it out with Toby and his men."

He kissed her on the forehead and got up, "perhaps it won't come to that" he said. "But it's a good backup plan. Why don't you wash up first."

He watched her that night to see if she slipped into another depression. This 2nd half of the ZA was different for Roxanne than when she first left Ed and went out on her own, learning how to survive along the way. The ZA was now completing its first year and this 2nd half had caused more people to 'opt out' than in the beginning. Bullets were becoming a thing of the past, you seldom saw people anymore, just walkers and the walkers were accumulating into bigger herds. Humans were being pushed out to the seas, lakes, oceans, herded and hunted like animals. Now the lakes were going bad, contaminated by rotting corpses and reducing the food source even further. Desperation had increased among the living who now turned on their own. Other people were no longer considered a safety net but an enemy who would steal from you and then kill you as a favor. It was worse if they stole from you and did not kill you but left you to either starve, run helpless without a weapon or be bitten and then turn. Society had been reduced to ashes and so far it did not look as if it could rebuild itself. There was no longer a vision of a future for the human race and extinction was inevitable.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 9 – 11****TH**** ENTRY:**

The next morning Brandon left with Toby, Smokey and Frank who had loaded 3 barrels on Jenny along with a harpoon gun that had a rope ladder attached. They would shoot the harpoon over the railing of the barge and then use the ladder to climb over the side. Once Smokey was on the ship he would rig a pulley to lower the full barrels back down to Jenny. He would be working on that devise while the other 3 were hand-pumping fuel into the barrels. They calculated that they should be back by noon.

Lucky was uncomfortable with not accompanying him but Brandon was convinced that these people did not have ulterior motives. "But Brandon, they don't need you. Toby can pilot Jenny. They could ambush you and throw you overboard."

"Lucky, if that was the case they could have killed all of us last night," Brandon objected. "Could have killed us when we first arrived. Look Lucky," Brandon said putting his hand on Lucky's shoulder, "I have respected your decisions, your orders, your demands for the last 3 months and you kept us alive. But I was right about Jenny, right about going down Huntington Creek and I feel right about the people I'm going with. I don't know about the rest of them, but Toby, Smokey and Frank are good people. We need them too. We can't keep doing this, just the 3 of us, isolating ourselves from everyone as some rogue gang. We almost died out there, Lucky and I've decided…." He paused to get the words right. "I've decided that I'm not going to die alone in the damn woods somewhere as a carcass for the animals to feed on. If I go down it will be Cami's style, to save a group of people, to save a home." He took his hand away. "So relax and enjoy the day with Roxanne, Caleb and Morgan. Get to know them again."

He walked away to go down the platform and join the others who were boarding Jenny. He did not look back at Lucky but as he pulled out he spotted Roxanne on the upper deck and waved to her.

When Lucky joined Roxanne she asked, "What was that all about. It looked as if the 2 of you were having words."

Lucky had his hands on the rails as he watched Brandon leave and was silent for a moment. "Perhaps we have been through too much together and been together too long. Tempers and patience wear thin when people spend too much time in each other's company. Especially if there have been occurrences that one would like to forget." He turned to look at her. "The easiest way to forget is to disassociate yourself with them and pull away. Maybe even change course and leave them behind."

Roxanne gasped, "Jesus what are you saying? That Brandon would abandon us? Have you lost your mind?" Lucky shook his head, "No, I'm saying that Brandon misses not having a family. He wants to be with people again, longs for it. His choices in the future may be based on that." With that last statement Lucky walked away leaving Roxanne confused.

Mutt rounded the corner coming toward Roxanne, followed by Caleb and Morgan. "Hi Roxanne!" Caleb called out. She smiled. She still hadn't become used to the idea that Caleb and Morgan were still alive. It was almost too good to be true, not something that she expected in this world where expectations were squashed. She put her arm around Caleb, "What have you 2 been up to? I see that you have commandeered my dog."

"I understand that you chose the Plantation," Morgan said. "I'm so glad. That's where we were going to try, but after you got here we would have changed to any direction that you were going in." They heard the sound of metal being banged upon by the walkers and the smile left everyone's face as they looked toward the street. "None too soon I might add."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 9 – 12****TH**** ENTRY:**

"Did they have any plans at all, Morgan as to what they would do if the walkers broke through?" Roxanne asked.

"If you could call it a plan," he said. "We would run to our boats and cast off. No one has any gas but you can use poles to push away from the wharf. Course that means you are now adrift. We would try to tie up to as many boats as possible, form a circle maybe or even a line and hopefully the currant would eventually push us into the canal where we would float out to the river."

"Damn," Roxanne said. "there's not much hope in that." She looked down at Caleb, "How is your hunting? Still killing rabbits?" Caleb shook his head, "No, still have the crossbow but I'm all out of arrows. Even when I killed a walker I couldn't run back and retrieve the arrow because there were so many other walkers around."

Morgan patted the boys shoulder, "He caught us many a dinner though, didn't you Caleb?"

"Not to worry Caleb," Roxanne said. "I ran into a woman who had a box of them. I'll give you half."

"Could we go in?" she said. "I can't stand the sound of so many walkers. The sound never leaves me, even in my sleep. We were in the mist of them for so long," she said as they went into the Lobby and sat down. "Always surrounded by them. We ran for 2 days and 1 night before we put enough distance that they didn't see us go into a boathouse. Lucky kept hoping that the boats he shoved into the creek at The Park would float down to us, but we never saw them. Must have become hung up on something, or just floated to the banks or on some rocks."

At that moment Terry walked over and flopped down beside Roxanne. "I'll be going with you after all. Didn't work out with the Hurley's but at least I have a better pair of shoes now" she leaned back and put her feet out for all to see. She was now sporting moccasins, "they're not new, but it's better than the slippers I was wearing."

Roxanne didn't know how she felt about Terry joining their group again but since there would be more people involved perhaps they could help toward training Terry in defending herself and how to kill. She looked up to notice that several people were watching her. A large portion of the group had already packed their personal possessions and had their suitcases or duffle bags sitting next to them. They could do nothing at this point but wait and hope that Toby's plan was successful.

"What do you know about this plantation?" Roxanne asked, starting to feel uncomfortable with the stares. She hadn't packed any of her gear yet, wasn't wearing her holster nor did she have her staff with her and was starting to regret it.

"It wasn't inhabited so we won't find any supplies," Morgan said. "It was donated to the Historical Society 30 years ago and has only been used for tours. The fields were worked on a seasonal basis though since it costs so much to maintain one of those monster homes and the income from the crops helped along with tour tickets, home-made jelly's and souvenirs. Toby likes it because of the fruit trees and vegetable seeds he had Gretchen hoard for him. He saved the seeds from any vegetables that managed to ripen on its own this year. I haven't seen the place myself."

When it began to approach mid-day people were starting to become anxious. A few more couples had packed their gear and came into the Lobby to wait. Roxanne was starting to get nervous by the stares and asked Morgan in a low voice if it would appear to be a sign of hostility if she were to get her staff. He smiled and reached over to put his hand on hers, "It's alright, Roxanne. Every group has their hot-heads, but nothing that we can't handle."

Finally a man approached them from a group who had been in deep conversation while watching Roxanne. Mutt got up from sitting next to Caleb and moved in front of Roxanne to sit down. "Mam, if I may introduce myself, names Ivan." He nodded at Morgan then looked back to her again. "I understand that the men are planning to get back around noon, is that your understanding?"

She nodded, "Yes Ivan, I was told the same."

"Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you are sitting with your back to the Lake and I think they may be delayed depending on what I see out there."

Morgan and Roxanne turned around to see that the horizon was the color of black and dark clouds were quickly approaching.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 9 – 13****TH**** ENTRY: **

"Oh My God, is that a hurricane?" Roxanne asked.

"No", Ivan said. "I'd say it's a tropical storm but it's still going to be rough. If they're not already on their way, Toby may need to ride it out on the barge. That would be their safest place. Your paddleboat would be running low in the water with 3 barrels on it and it would be easy for the waves to wash over it. So we're between a rock and a hard place here. If he has already loaded your boat then he may try to make a run for it and take the chance of staying ahead of the storm. Or he may unload the barrels back onto the barge to lighten the weight on Jenny and wait the night out. If he has made a run for it, then we need to get it unloaded right away once he gets here or it could sink at the dock and it's not easy moving barrels of fuel. You get my drift about a rock and a hard place?"

Roxanne nodded her head. "As for us," Ivan continued, "Morgan we need to get everyone away from the windows. These places are built to handle this but let's not take any chances. I suggest everyone double up in the rooms facing shore since the rooms facing the lake will take a pounding."

"Roxanne, why don't you and Lucky pack your things and come to our room," Morgan said. "You can double up with us. We've ridden these things out before." Roxanne stood up to go to her room when Lucky burst into the Lobby. "I see them!" he shouted. "They're ahead of the storm!"

"All hands on deck!" Ivan shouted. "We need to roll those barrels to shore and tie them down. Everyone knows what they're supposed to do, so let's be ready for them when they get here."

Jenny was still in the far distance and if she had been a steamboat you would have seen the trailing smoke as she struggled to get ahead of the storm. "I'm getting too old for this", Toby said as he spotted the cityscape. "Making too many mistakes. Shouldn't have loaded 3 barrels on Jenny. The poor girl is struggling. Once I smelled the storm coming I should have loaded 1 barrel for my tugboat and come back for the rest after the storm was over."

"We'll make it, Toby," Brandon said. "She's a good girl, Jenny."

"Thing is," Toby continued, "I don't know how much longer our barrier will hold back those walkers. One of those cars is almost pushed out of place, a breach ready to happen. I was trying to please too many people, bringing back so many barrels so everyone could have a boat for their group and go their separate way. Some of those people are desperate and I was trying to prevent someone from picking up a dinner knife at supper and starting a riot."

Toby walked to the door of the bridge and yelled out, "Smokey, can you see if the cars are still in place?" Smokey shook his head, "No Captain. Too far away yet." They heard a clap of thunder and Toby looked behind them. He came back and stood beside Brandon, "Hell maybe the storm will give us a tail wind and push us in."

The words barely left his lips when a swell came from behind Jenny and lifted her. She rode the wave and picked up speed from the force behind her. "Water is rushing in from the canals." Toby said. "Maybe we'll make it after all." Brandon looked at him and smiled, "I never doubted it." A second wave hit her, almost violently and Jenny scooted ahead like a woman who just had her tail slapped by a flirt, but this time water washed over the deck. Another clap of thunder and it started to rain in large drops.

Smokey came in out of the rain and said he could see the barrier and the cars were still standing in place. "Good, then we're gaining faster. That surge helped." The rain was now pouring down the windshield of the bridge and Toby looked over at Brandon then back at the window. He waited and then finally said, "You know, you have windshield wipers on this thing Brandon." He reached across Brandon and threw a switch. Brandon was startled, "They work?"

"Everything on here can be used manually," Toby said. "As long as the wheels are turning, you have wipers." Another wave hit and water flooded over Jenny's bow. "Come on Baby!" Brandon shouted, "Keep your head up! Keep your head up!" He thought they were going under but Jenny's bow appeared out of the water and leveled. Smokey shouted that he could see people on the dock waiting to tie Jenny and unload the barrels. "do you want me to take it from here," Toby asked. "One last surge and she could end up on shore."

"No, I got it" Brandon smiled.

**END OF CHAPTER NINE. **

e HeHe


	10. Chapter 10

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 – 1****ST**** ENTRY:**

Roxanne stood on the front lawn of the antebellum home shaking her head. Although the home would provide some security it would only be temporary. There was a white fence surrounding the lawn but nothing that would hold back a herd. The first floor of the home was raised high enough that a walker could not grab the lower porch railing to pull him up and over it to gain access to the portico. There was an arched brick staircase from the grounds to the first floor which the walkers could easily mount but they could block that off.

Toby had been mistaken about the use of the plantation home and did not realize that it had been renovated to include a restaurant, nor that there were 3 cottages behind the mansion that were rented out. It was the cottages that Roxanne felt more secure in. Toby had not entered the home during his fruit picking excursions and once they gained unlawful access to the mansion they were shocked to find that it had not been looted. The place was huge with 15ft ceilings, two ballrooms, several conference rooms, three levels with 64 rooms, 6 staircases and windows, windows, windows. It was those windows that made Roxanne nervous. If walkers should gain access to the portico it would be impossible to block off and defend so many accessible areas.

The others in the group walked about in awe while Terry ran from room to room in glee. She had never seen such magnificence but to Roxanne she felt that she was invading the privacy of someone's home. She had never felt this way about any home that she had looted in the past but this place gave her a different feeling and was decorated with original antiques and furnishings with sparkling new fixtures to blend in with the period. They went to the 3rd floor that housed the bedrooms and Terry claimed the most luxurious. People started peeling off to other bedrooms and Roxanne found herself standing in front of windows overlooking the River. The windows went all the way down to the floor and were taller than a door. She unlocked it and discovered that, once raised she could walk through the window frame to the walk-around porch that still had rocking chairs on it. She turned around to see Lucky leaning against the door frame of the bedroom smiling at her but she shook her head to tell him that this room was not her first choice.

She stepped out to the porch and followed it around to the other side of the house, noting more staircases leading up from the grounds. She sighed at the realization that there were too many accesses and not enough people to guard it all. Some of the windows on this side of the house had been broken and part of the porch was gone from a fallen tree. That's when she saw the cottages nestled among the trees at the end of a pond. There was a foot-bridge to cross the pond and she could see geese and ducks going in and out of the cattails. She heard the voices of other conversations in the group and found stairs leading from the porch to the level below.

"But a place this size would have a generator," Gretchen was saying. "They held weddings and other social functions and if the electricity went out the affair would have been a disaster. We just need to search for it. Maybe there are sheds, and there's a basement that I bet has canned goods or even a wine cellar." Roxanne continued walking with Lucky silently following at a distance, waiting for a signal from her that something finally felt right to her. The porch she was on soon came to another staircase that led to the grounds and at this point she no longer knew where she was because the place was so huge with so many additions and wings added to the home. If they were to stay here they would need to board up sections and limit their living to just one wing that could be guarded and defended. Perhaps they could have an escape through another wing that would lead them away from the open fields at the front of the house.

She found an overgrown brick path and began following it away from the house, Mutt running ahead of her glad to be free of Jenny and on stable ground again. She came to a 10' high brick wall with a steel gate and peeking in she saw that it surrounded a pool with stagnant green water that was filled with debris. The brick wall was the best defense she had seen on the property so far, but it was not a place to take refuge. She continued on the path aware that Lucky was still following but was unaware that he was picking fall flowers along the way to form a bouquet.

The path circled the brick wall and went under a few overhanging trees dripping with Spanish moss but she could see the pond and foot-bridge ahead of her. Mutt ran over the bridge and a flock of geese flew out of the reeds. Roxanne tested the bridge with her foot first and decided it was safe. She went to the cottage in the middle of the 3 and looked through the window seeing a living room with a kitchenette behind it. She tested the door but it was locked when suddenly Lucky appeared before her and bowed, "Madam, if you please?" He handed her the bouquet and she was so shocked that she forgot to smile. He straightened and swung his arm out, "If you would step aside please?" Roxanne stepped away from the door as Lucky turned and kicked the door in while holding onto a pillar to keep his balance. Once again he bowed and swung his arm out, "After you madam."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 – 2nd ENTRY: **

Gretchen discovered that the kitchen was stocked with canned goods although she had to clean out rotten vegetables that had been left in the refrigerators. The basement did in fact hold a wine cellar along with cases of bottled water and sodas. They decided to board up the wing of the house that had been damaged in the storm and to use the doors from those rooms to block off the outside staircases that lead from the grounds. By laying the doors sideways between the bannisters it would block a small number of walkers from advancing. This idea did not work for the front brick circular stairs that lead to the 1st floor wrap-around porch since those stairs were designed to handle the billowing dresses of the Colonial era and were too wide. Instead they decided to bring down the furniture from the damaged wing and pile it at the bottom of the stairs, securing it with rope and twine. They hated using such beautiful antique dressers, tables and desks but knew that they were at the mercy of walkers in this home with so many ways to access it from the outside.

They continued to maintain supplies on both Toby's tugboat and Jenny in case a quick escape was necessary. No one who had been at The Park wanted to be left in the same situation as when they had to abandon that refuge and were forced to leave so many things behind. If Gene had not had a heart attack the situation would have been different since the truck was so well stocked, but everyone was left with what they could carry on foot. Having both the tugboat and Jenny supplied would give them an advantage if they were forced to move on. The only person who was in denial was Terry who thought the Plantation was now her permanent home. She did not seem to grasp that the world was not going to let her return to a normal life. She discovered a lounge for the employees that had lockers and broke into each of them looking for dresses, tossing aside jeans and slacks. She found the laundry room with racks of uniforms for the maids, servers and tour guides. The tour guides wore traditional Colonial clothing and she was delighted with the long skirts. Without the crinolines or hoop's to wear underneath the dresses they were too long for her and dragged on the floor so she picked up the hems on each side and tucked them into her belt.

No one was happy with Roxanne's decision to occupy one of the cabins instead of selecting a bedroom in the house except for Morgan and Caleb who also felt uncomfortable staying in such a huge mansion. "It's not us," Morgan said. "And I don't like how the sounds echo in those large rooms with tall ceilings. It's too spooky if you ask me. I'm sure it's probably haunted too and we have enough problems than to be dealing with ghosts," so they chose a cabin next to Roxanne and Lucky. In the house were Larry & Gretchen, Terry, Toby and Smokey since Brandon had elected to sleep on Jenny as a way of guarding her at night. Secretly Roxanne hoped that Brandon would take the 3rd cabin so that their group from The Park would be all together again, but she could see that Brandon was developing a seamanship relationship with Toby and Smokey and that he was still learning from them. Perhaps Lucky had been right and Brandon needed a break from them since they represented some of the worst that he had been through.

They were there for a week before they saw their first walker who was coming through the fields across the road. Smokey was training Terry how to fight when Larry called down to them from the balcony. Smokey had discovered the maintenance building which had a supply of pipes and he had pounded one down into a staff for Terry. He was not able to design it with a sharp point as Ed had designed Roxanne's, but the flat edge was sharp enough to cut through a walker's throat.

When Terry spotted the walker she screamed, dropped her staff and turned to run into the house but Smokey caught her by the arm and held her there. "No you don't," he said. "This is an easy shot. He will stop at the fence which will be waist high. He may fall over it, or crawl under it, but either way this is an easy kill for you." He picked up the staff and handed it to her. "I'll be there right beside you." Terry began to cry and gasp for air but she slowly approached the walker while holding the staff out. As she neared the walker Smokey warned her, "Don't let him grab it. Go on! Just do it quickly."

"But he's so horrible," Terry wailed, swaying slightly on her feet.

"Don't think about it. Just do it!"

Still crying she lunged at the walker throwing all her strength into the blow. The staff caught the walker in the neck and almost severed its head from its throat spilling out blood and a foul smell. The head fell over still attached to its spine and it continued to moan and move about. Terry screamed, dropped the staff and ran into the house yelling that she was never coming back out again. Smokey picked up the staff and kicked the walker causing it to fall over. He then leaned across the fence and used the staff to pierce the head which gave off a sickening sound of being crushed. Suddenly he realized that no one had discussed the part of where to put the bodies. He certainly wasn't going to dig a grave for each one and he hadn't seen any large equipment like a bulldozer. He knew they couldn't dump them in the river and have the same results as Lake Pontchartrain but that thought made him think of the pool. He grabbed the walker's legs from under the fence and started dragging him in that direction but it was something to be discussed after dinner tonight.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 – 3****RD**** ENTRY: **

That night Roxanne walked out onto the portico with a bottle of wine in her hand and spotted the silhouette of Brandon sitting on the levee overlooking the boats. She grabbed a couple of glasses and decided to walk over and join him. It was a beautiful moonlit night although there was a chill in the air. Smokey had found a man's leather jacket in the maintenance shop and had given it to Roxanne after hearing that she always participated in night patrol. It was far too big for her and the sleeves came down to her knuckles but she loved its warmth. "Come Mutt" she said and began descending the stairs.

She crossed the wet grass and began climbing the wooden steps built into the levee when Brandon heard the boards creak under her weight and turned around. "Mind if I join you?" she asked holding up the bottle so it would catch a sparkle from the moonlight. "Sure, come have a seat on the blanket." She sat down beside him and gave him the bottle to open. He poured wine into the glasses and she handed him one. They touched glasses, each took a drink and then Roxanne wrapped her arm through his and put her head on his shoulder. Mutt sat overlooking the river with his back to them as if protecting them from intrusion.

"You are our hero, you do know that?" she asked. "For getting us out of New Orleans safely? All those people owe you their lives." Brandon briefly touched the top of her head with his cheek and answered, "I need to teach you how to pilot Jenny. You know, in case something should happen to me. We have learned how badly things can go wrong."

Roxanne lifted her head and looked at him, but did not let go of his arm. "Are you thinking of leaving us, Brandon?" she asked softly. He shrugged but continued to look out over the River, "Do you see this place as permanent, Roxanne?"

"Good Lord, no. It is wide open with no defenses against a herd. A herd would take this place down in no time. Our best plan would be to run to the boats and get on the River again."

"Yes, but no one has spoken of or agreed as to where we go from here," Brandon said. "Toby told me he would go north, past Baton Rouge to some paper mill on the River. I don't think Lucky would do that. I think Lucky would want to go back to his original plan of getting to the east coast." He turned and looked at Roxanne. "If that is what Lucky wants then someone would need to know how to pilot Jenny because I would go with Toby."

They looked into each other's eyes for a long time, trying to read the thoughts and emotions of the other. Roxanne sighed and put her head back on his shoulder. "I would miss you Brandon. We're family, but I would understand. Lucky already mentioned that he thought you may choose a different path when we are forced to move again."

"I'm assuming that you would follow Lucky."

He felt her head nod, "Probably."

"Probably? How are things between you and Lucky?"

"OK"

"Like before?" Roxanne knew what he meant by using the word 'before'.

"No, not like before. But it's OK, Brandon. Don't worry about me."

He poured another glass of wine for each and said, "You need to talk to him Roxanne. You need to pin him down on some plans. You can't go running into some cornfield without direction like we did when leaving the farmhouse at the park. Morgan stuck to the road because we had planned to travel that way by truck. He followed the route by foot always going west since the walkers were coming from both the north and east, preventing us from getting back to the NRA house. Morgan stuck to the plan and was picked up by Toby in a month. But we ditched the plan, crossed the road into a cornfield and wandered around for 3 months until we were close to dead. I don't want that to happen to you again." She was silent and he began to think that she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. "Promise me, Roxanne. Promise me that you will talk to him about a concrete plan."

She lifted her head and sighed. "Yes, I promise. Now let's finish off that bottle of wine."

Lucky had the first shift of the night and was watching Roxanne and Brandon from the balcony. He saw Roxanne put her head on Brandon's shoulder several times and knew that they had a close relationship. Sometimes she told Brandon of her fears when she would not voice them to him. Sometimes she looked to Brandon for strength and encouragement and it hurt Lucky to know that she felt she could not get that from him. But he was not jealous of her time with Brandon knowing that sometimes one person cannot fulfill all the needs of someone else. He would miss Brandon, felt that Brandon was a brother to him but also knew that Brandon represented his only competition with Roxanne.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 - 4****TH**** ENTRY:**

Roxanne met Lucky as his watch was relieved by Smokey and they walked to the cabins together. No one spoke and Lucky noticed that she was not scanning the surrounding grounds for walkers, which was her usual demeanor. Instead she was walking with her head down and he wondered if she had had too much to drink. When they reached the footbridge over the pond they could see that Morgan and Caleb were sitting on the porch of their own cabin. Caleb waved at her, not wanting to call out but was sure that she could see him by the light of the lantern.

After they crossed the bridge Roxanne said, "I'll catch you later," and peeled off towards Morgan's cabin. Lucky slowed his step and almost stopped, feeling as if he had just been dismissed. He watched her walk away, then picked up his pace again and waved at Morgan as he went toward their own cabin.

Roxanne stepped onto Morgan's porch and leaned against one of the pillars, putting her hands in her pockets. "Let me ask you a question Morgan, just out of curiosity. Have you thought about where you would go when this place is overrun?"

"You're that sure that it will be, Roxanne? Overrun?"

"Aren't you?"

"Yes," Morgan agreed. "It doesn't represent the type of security that we need but it's encouraging that we've only seen one walker. Perhaps they aren't on this side of the Mississippi, but I know that's probably wishful thinking. To answer your question, yes in a way we did have plans in place as a backup. It was discussed before you arrived at the Casino. Other than this place Toby knows of a paper mill up the river. Concrete walls, parking lot with a fence around it, borders one side on the River. Sounds like a dark and dreary place but that was before you, Brandon and Lucky arrived. As I said at the casino, we would change our plans to go with you."

Roxanne shifted her position on the post but kept her hands in her pockets. Morgan was surprised to see her without her staff tonight but then Mutt came out of the darkness and dropped the staff at her feet. "Oh, I'm so sorry Mutt," she said as she reached down for it. "I forgot that you were following behind carrying that. Good boy, now why don't you go home to Lucky," and she waved her hand toward their cabin but Mutt disobeyed and sat to the side of her. Roxanne shook her head and looked at Morgan, "Don't know what's gotten into him lately." She sat down with her back against the pillar and dangled one leg off the porch.

"But, what if Lucky doesn't agree with Toby?" she continued. "What if Brandon doesn't agree with Lucky and wants to go with Toby? Would you stay with the larger group or weigh the pros and cons of each proposed destination?"

Morgan remained silent, looking at her. He wasn't pleased with the way this conversation was going. He never thought that there would be problems between Brandon and Lucky or that their group would be willing to split up after finding each other again. "I guess I would weigh the pros and cons, Roxanne. I wouldn't blindly follow someone if I was opposed to their suggestion and there was another option offered to me. But I'm glad you brought the subject up. It sounds like something that all of us should have a meeting about and make plans. Since getting here no one has spoken of a back-up plan."

Roxanne nodded and got up, "Will you spread the word tomorrow so we can all meet? I'll speak to Lucky about it tonight. Come Mutt," she said as she walked away and this time he obeyed.

Lucky had already washed up and was in bed when Roxanne arrived. After bathing from the basin he had put the lantern in the living room so she could see and had lit a candle on each side of the bed while waiting for her. She picked up the lantern and brought it into the bedroom with her where she put it on the sink. Without speaking to him she poured water into the basin and turned her back to face the mirror. He watched as she undressed and bathed but couldn't stand the silence any more. "Is something on your mind, Roxanne? Something bothering you?"

She looked in the mirror and could see him on the bed behind her but continued to wash, "Brandon wants to teach you or I how to pilot Jenny. He's concerned that people will become separated as they did at the Park, which brought the question up of a second plan, an escape route. As of right now everyone would run for the boats but from there, what? Where do we go? I've asked Morgan to gather everyone for a meeting tomorrow. We need to explore ideas." She put on a clean t-shirt and turned the lantern out then waited until her eyes adjusted to the candlelight before coming over and sliding into bed with him. "Have you thought about it?" she asked. "Have you heard of the paper mill that Toby has suggested?"

He put his arm around her and nodded, "Yes I have heard him speak of it. But that's further up river and away from the east coast."

"You're still determined to go to the East coast, even though Toby said that Jenny wasn't designed for open seas?"

"We have gas for Jenny now. The motors are stronger than the paddlewheels. I'd like to give it a try. Is that why Brandon wants to teach one of us how to pilot? He would prefer the paper mill?"

He could feel her nod against his shoulder, "Yes, it is his choice so far. But that's one reason for the meeting, to put these ideas out there and then take a vote on which people think is best.

Lucky leaned over her and caressed her check, "Doesn't matter what everyone decides. You and I will always travel together." He gave her a tender kiss and pulled her closer, considering the conversation to be over.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 – 5****TH**** ENTRY:**

Gretchen only cooked 1 breakfast in the mornings and if you were not there to eat then you were on your own. She was not going to cook different meals for different guard schedules and so far no one had ever missed breakfast. Terry attempted to do so once, but found that no one was cooperative in helping her start the grill outside so she could make breakfast for herself.

Morgan took control of the meeting after breakfast and announced that they were gathered to put an escape plan together. Terry was the only one confused by this, insisting that she saw no reason why they could not permanently stay at the mansion. In frustration Morgan sighed and said, "Does anyone think that we could fortify this place against a herd of walkers? If you do, we would all like to hear your plan on how we should do that."

Upon receiving only silence he continued that suggestions were open as to where they should evacuate if the plantation was overrun. Toby told of the Paper Mill up river and that it would not be comfortable living quarters, but a safe one. "We can always make it comfortable by raiding the surrounding towns for beds, towels, blankets and even furniture that my tugboat can haul. Natchez is just across the river and that's a tourist town, but also surrounded by residences. The restaurants may have been cleared out by residents who hunkered down, but it's worth checking out. We need to make another trip back to the barge though for more barrels of fuel. That's the only barge I have seen on the river and once that fuel is gone we're on foot."

Morgan asked if anyone else had an idea but everyone admitted that the places they had traveled from were already overtaken. "Ok, so are we in agreement? If this place should fall our next destination would be the paper mill and if anyone doesn't make it to the boats and is forced to travel by foot that they will find us at the paper mill, heaven forbid that should happen. You would need to go by Baton Rouge and I don't see anyone making it through or past that city."

Brandon noticed that everyone spoke up and agreed but that Roxanne and Lucky remained silent. "Lucky, did you have other plans? Perhaps we should hear them." Lucky was at the table but Roxanne was standing off to the side with her last cut of coffee. She had already fed Mutt who was sitting in front of the sideboard where she had leaned her staff.

Lucky pushed his plate aside and cupped his hands on the table. "It had always been my intention to go east to the Atlantic coast, perhaps to one of the Carolina's. One of the reasons is because we have seen that the herds are crossing from east to west. It is possible that the Carolina's have now been cleared out of walkers. If we could not make it that far, then I would stop in Florida. I say Florida because we met a man fleeing from that state, saying that Florida was toast. That could mean that Florida has cleared out too and walkers have moved west to New Orleans which is what we saw happening on the Lake." He paused and shifted his weight in his chair before going on. "You see, we keep running ahead of the herd and they keep catching up with us. It is my theory that we should circle and get behind them."

"It's a good theory, Lucky" Toby spoke up. "But those are rough waters you're talking about and we don't have enough gas to get that far. Your riverboat, even on gas would not have enough to get around the tip of Florida, in fact you probably won't get past St. Petersburg on the West Coast of Florida."

"What about other Marina's on the coast?" Lucky said. "We could stop at a different marina every night or two and fill up again."

Toby shook his head, "I wouldn't count on that Lucky. You saw how many boats, all kinds of boats that were docked at Lake Pontchatrain. All those people had run out of gas coming from the marinas in Florida. When the ZA hit, anyone with a boat immediately ran for it. Get out to sea where it's safe, that was their intention and they all had to come back to land."

"Lucky," Smokey said, "if your theory is right, about the walkers moving west, then the paper mill would be safe. It is on the west side of the Mississippi so the river would stop them from coming out of the east. They wouldn't be able to cross over and any walker that was already on the west side of the river would be moving toward the West Coast, toward California."

"Roxanne and I will talk it over tonight and let you know what we have decided. Brandon has offered to teach us how to pilot Jenny," Lucky said.

"I don't think that a discussion will be necessary, Lucky" Roxanne said and stepped forward. "It's a good theory, but you and I cannot do it alone. No one can go it alone anymore and the odds are against us. We have battled too many odds and I don't think our luck will continue to hold out. Just the two of us?" she shook her head. "I think it would be foolish. Brandon is right that someone other than he should know how to pilot Jenny and I'm willing to learn. But if the group has decided to go to the paper mill, then I will be going with them. I hope you elect to join us. We would hate to lose you."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 – 6****TH**** ENTRY: **

Lucky was trained to keep his face void of all emotion, so no one was aware of how Roxanne's statement had surprised him. The awkward moment was broken by Terry jumping up to cause her chair to topple over, "I'm not going to some smelly, cold concrete paper mill." She ran out of the room yelling, "I'm staying right here. I'll learn everything I need to know. You'll see!"

Morgan sighed, "Well, I guess this meeting is over," and everyone began to leave the dining room to attend to their duties. Roxanne took her staff from the sideboard and Lucky joined her as she began to walk out. Mutt went in the opposite direction, causing Roxanne to stop and look behind her when she saw Mutt run up to Brandon as he was leaving to go to Jenny. Brandon stopped and glanced down at Mutt and then looked back at Roxanne, both surprised at Mutt's decision. "Is it alright?" Brandon asked. Roxanne shrugged her shoulders, "It appears that he has made his choice."

Lucky waited until they were away from the house before speaking up, "If it was your intention to hurt me, you were successful." Roxanne stopped and looked at him, "Hurt you?" she questioned. "That was not my intent," she began to walk again. "I'm going by instincts, by a gut feeling that the Mill is the safest place. It's not that much further up river and if it turns out to be a mistake we haven't gone that far out of our way."

"But we keep getting further and further away," Lucky said. "Just coming here was in the opposite direction, continuing to go west instead of east." As Lucky was talking Roxanne was looking to her left past his shoulders at a large trunked tree along the path where she thought she saw movement. She let him continue to talk but never took her eyes off the tree. As they passed it a walker silently stumbled out from behind and she quickly shoved Lucky out of the way. She raised her staff and began to circle in front of the walker to draw it away from Lucky.

Lucky quickly regained his balance after she pushed him and turned to see Roxanne run her staff through the neck and back of the skull of the walker. It had been completely silent even in death as Roxanne killed it, but Lucky should have picked up the scent of rotting flesh. He was surprised by his lack of attention and a chill ran through him that the walker could have easily bitten him. "Why didn't you say something?" Lucky asked. "I could have handled it."

"Sorry, I acted on impulse," Roxanne answered. "Let's drag him to the pool and then we better check the rest of the property."

Brandon walked with Mutt to the Levee where he saw Toby and Smokey talking. "When do you want to make that run back to the barge again," Brandon asked.

Toby turned to look at him, "We were just talking about that. Ordinarily we would all go on my tugboat, but if Lucky is serious about going to the East Coast then you and he can follow in Jenny while you train him how to pilot." He shook his head, "Damn fool. I don't know him well enough to know what's going through his mind. He's your friend Brandon. You've traveled with him for a long time. OK, he has a theory that could be correct, but he does not have the means to get to the East Coast. He would be putting both his and Roxanne's life in danger," he looked down, "and Mutt."

"It sounded to me that Roxanne has made up her mind not to go with him," Brandon said. "When did you want to make this run up the canal?"

Toby scanned the sky, "It's early morning yet. We can do it today. From what I hear about that Park and how quickly it was overcome, it sounds as if the best laid plans can go astray and you didn't have enough time to prepare, so why don't we do this now. See if you can find Lucky and if he is agreeable you can train him and tag along behind us. The 4 of us can go, leaving Larry, Morgan and Roxanne to protect the group. From what I can see, Terry is useless, Caleb does his best as a young boy and Gretchen uses the nearest household item to keep a walker at bay until someone can kill it. Nice lady, but I know that I can count on Larry."

Lucky was reluctant when Brandon approached him. "We found a walker on the property," he said "and I'm not comfortable with leaving right now."

"Go with him," Roxanne said. "I can handle it. Besides, that walker looked as if he could have worked here and has been wandering around in the vicinity. I'll get Caleb to walk the grounds with me. If you don't want to go, then I will because one of us needs to learn how to pilot Jenny." She smiled, "For some reason Jenny has become special to me and I would hate to leave her behind because neither of us were trained. She's a good vessel to have since she doesn't need gas, even if we can't leave the river with her. If push comes to shove we can keep moving up and down the river to avoid walkers." She turned and looked out over the horizon, "They've got to die off sometime" she whispered then turned back to them. "Won't they?"

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 – 7****TH**** ENTRY:**

Roxanne waved them off as she stood on the upper deck of the mansion. Mutt had decided to go with Brandon and Lucky, a decision that puzzled her since he had always been by her side. Perhaps Mutt had decided that she needed less protection than they since it had been Roxanne who managed to feed them during their 3 months of running.

She was 2 hours into her shift when she began to notice a flashing glint in the woods across the road. The front of the house had a lawn with a white fence that bordered a 2-lane highway. On the other side of the road was an overgrown field of farmland until it met up with the forest. It was too far away to see into the forest but she could not remember ever seeing something that would flash when the sunlight hit it before. She paced the deck trying to get a better look but it was useless. She tried to convince herself that it was some piece of farm equipment or tool that the sun had picked up and she had never noticed it before or that she had never been in the same position on the portico to see it, but the unknown was driving her crazy.

She looked down on the grounds but could not see anyone. "Where the hell is everyone?" she thought. It was against the rules that anyone should venture out alone until they learned more of the property beyond the estate, but Roxanne's curiosity got the better of her and she decided to check it out. She knew that Morgan & Caleb would be along in an hour to relieve her and was beginning to think that these stake-outs were a waste of time since they had only seen 2 walkers in the week that they had been there.

She picked up her newly painted staff and descended the 3 levels to the grounds and then walked over to her cabin to retrieve her crossbow. She would be careful not to approach the open field where she could be seen by anyone in the woods. Since the flashing had not moved she did not feel that it was a human watching the house but more of a stationary piece of equipment. Perhaps it was part of an irrigation system that they could use to draw water but she would use caution and approach from an angle in which she could stay well hidden.

There was tension between Lucky & Brandon during their journey to the barge and both of them could feel it between them. Lucky seemed to think that he had learned how to pilot Jenny by watching Brandon during the trip down Huntington Creek and Brandon wondered if Lucky had agreed to pilot because he wanted Roxanne to be dependent on him. They did not discuss the meeting of that morning and the fact that Roxanne had said that she would follow the rest of the group to the paper mill but Brandon could see that Lucky appeared to be both distracted and irritable.

Retrieving the remaining fuel from the Barge also did not go well. The sun was blazing hot for so late in the season and they had to be cautious not to touch the steel haul. A few walkers gathered on the levee and fell into the water, sliding down to Jenny's haul. Brandon wasn't afraid that the walkers would board Jenny, but he was afraid that they would get caught in her paddlewheel and keep her from moving again. There was also great disappointment after their hard work and profusely sweating that the barge only produced a half barrel of fuel.

When Brandon told Lucky that he should start Jenny and to navigate her away from the barge in order to avoid the walkers in the water, Lucky took the wheel but often lost his temper and yelled profanities whenever he made a mistake. Once they were in the River and had turned toward the plantation Brandon finally spoke up. "What's going on with you today Lucky? I've never seen you this stressed out about anything, nor have you ever not been willing to learn new ways of survival." Lucky poured water over his burning face and wiped his eyes but did not say anything. "Is it Roxanne?" Brandon asked.

Lucky appeared to be struggling with himself and finally looked over to Brandon, "Remember when we got back from destroying Chen Le and Roxanne & I walked away from the rest of you to go to her cabin?" Brandon nodded remembering that Lucky had given them the finger as he walked away from the group. Lucky turned back to watch the river, "She told me that night that it was only in her cabin that we were Roxanne and Lucky. That outside the cabin we were a team and that I should never get the two confused or I would start to make mistakes." He looked back at Brandon, "Do you know that she can actually do that, Brandon? That she can divide herself like that, become 2 different women."

Brandon had a lot to say about that but he kept quiet knowing that Lucky needed to get this out of his system. "I watch her get dressed in the morning and with each piece of equipment or weapon she arms herself with, I see the change come over her. By the end, she even uses a different tone of voice with me. What pisses me off is that she is right. I've been trained to think that way, yet I can't do it around her. Oh, yeah I give her orders like anyone else on the team, give her assignments and know she can handle it….." he paused and looked down. "Except…" he whispered…."except that once when everything went so bad."

He straightened and looked ahead, "She's right and she makes a better leader than I am. To try to prove to her that I saw her as part of the team, I went in the opposite direction and gave her the hardest assignments. I let my emotions get the better of me and made mistakes, became confused as to whether she was lover or team member. She was able to divide it, me…I just made a mess of things between us. She's right about going to the Paper Mill. She took the facts, analyzed it and came up with the logical answer that if a lone person opposed a plan that was agreeable to the majority of the group, then it was time to walk away from them. I admire her for that as a leader but it breaks my heart that the lover would be so quickly abandoned." He turned and looked at Brandon, "You see why I'm not fit to lead? The woman has messed my head up, big time."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 – ENTRY 8:**

They had an hour of daylight left when the levee came into view outside the mansion. Lucky & Brandon could see the group gathered at the top, waiting for them. They looked at one another in confusion since the barrels were never unloaded from the boats and it hadn't been a supply run. "Something's wrong," Lucky said and became very nervous when he did not see Roxanne with the group. "Take over Brandon. I'm jumping over to the dock before you have a chance to tie this thing up." He went out to the deck where Mutt was already waiting to jump over, anxious to get back on land again. Morgan came down the steps on the levee to grab the line as Lucky threw them out for him to catch. "What's wrong?"

Morgan looked up as he was pulling in the line and Lucky could tell that he was worried. "Roxanne's missing." Lucky's heart went to his throat as both he and Mutt jumped to the dock at the same time. "Best we can tell, shortly after you left. She wasn't on the portico when we went to relieve her but we didn't get worried until Larry came to relieve Caleb and I and he hadn't seen Roxanne since she went on duty. We've searched the grounds without success and our last hope was that Mutt could pick up her scent."

Morgan finished tying off Jenny and Brandon jumped over. "You heard?" Lucky asked.

"Yes, I think Mutt is a good solution but I'm confident she must be on the grounds somewhere" Brandon said. "There's too much outside the estate that we haven't explored or become familiar with and Roxanne knows the rules of not going outside the perimeter alone."

Lucky shook his head as they climbed the steps to the top of the levee, "Remember the collapsed ride at the Park that she climbed over and disappeared on the other side? When something intrigues her, she can't shake it off and like a cat she can't contain her curiosity." They reached the top of the levee and Lucky said, "Mutt, find Roxanne" motioning for Mutt to run ahead.

Mutt took the steps carefully and then began to trot toward the cabin, but he did not appear to be in a state of anxiety over Roxanne not being with the group. Everyone followed except for Toby and Smokey who were still tying up the tugboat. At the cabin Lucky checked inside and said that the crossbow was gone. She had left that behind before her shift on the portico and had taken her gun, staff, knife and pick-axe. "Well at least we know she was here after her shift," Lucky said. He looked down at Mutt, "Mutt, where did Roxanne go from here? Mutt, find Roxanne."

Mutt put his nose to the ground and followed the cabins, crossing Morgan's porch and the grounds to the white picket fence. He went under the fence and then crossed the road. "Damn it," Lucky said. "She left the grounds. Gretchen you, Terry, Morgan & Caleb stay here and when Smokey catches up send him our way. Larry you come with Brandon and I." Both Lucky and Brandon were carrying their staff and had their holsters on, but what ammo they had in their guns was the end of their supply. Larry carried his rifle with an axe on his belt loop but was also limited on ammo.

They followed Mutt to the road and into the dry sugarcane on the other side that had never been harvested, Mutt still not appearing to be nervous. They were almost through the field of sugarcane and were about to enter an open area before reaching the forest when Mutt stopped in his tracks still sniffing the ground. Lucky motioned everyone to stop while he watched Mutt make several different detours and come back to the same spot again. Mutt took a few steps then raised his head to look down another row and softly growled. Everyone flattened to the ground, Lucky motioning Larry to circle around to that row. Then Mutt put his head back to the ground and proceeded on his original course toward the forest.

Brandon & Lucky got up to follow and glanced down the suspicious row to see Larry studying the ground. Once they broke thru the sugarcane and entered the open area, Mutt became agitated. Lucky saw the disturbed ground and although the sun was lowering he went into a cold sweat. "There was a shake up here," Lucky said to Brandon. Larry caught up to them and knelt down. "Someone was in that other row. I saw boot prints and knee prints. Looks like they came up behind her." They didn't need Mutt for this area because Lucky could see that someone had been fighting, and then dragged toward the forest. They heard noises behind them and turned to see Smokey break through the sugarcane with his rifle.

As they went into the forest they needed Mutt to guide them again and Lucky could tell that Roxanne was no longer being dragged away but he couldn't find her footsteps either. As they continued the ground began to turn wet and soggy and he was able to pick up footsteps again. "Three men," Lucky said. "One much heavier than the others, probably carrying Roxanne."

The terrain became worse as they proceeded and several times they became stuck in the marsh. "Stay in their tracks," Smokey said. "Step exactly where they stepped. These guys know what they're doing. They're not stragglers looking for a safe place. The swamp is their backyard." They finally reached a stronger area of hard ground bordering a waterway and that's where Mutt stopped. He became frantic, running up and down the bank, trying to pick up the scent again and when he couldn't he began to whine pitifully. "They had a skiff," Smokey said. "No telling which way they went since all these waterways twist and turn and some even circle back on themselves. It's almost dark. We could get lost in here ourselves and we need to see our way back across that marsh. Lucky I'm sorry, but for tonight the trail ends here."

Mutt sat down and started to howl, something they had never seen him do before.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 – 9****TH**** ENTRY:**

It seemed that no matter what plan of action Lucky suggested, that Toby shot it down with logic. It was well past dark when they returned to the house and filled everyone in on what they had found. Mutt went directly to the windows overlooking the front lawn and sat there watching.

"We can get the rubber raft from Jenny and use it to search the waterways" Lucky said. They were all sitting at the dining room table with candlelight. Larry was holding Gretchen's hand at the table but Morgan was still standing with his arm across Caleb's shoulder. Caleb had taken it hard since he had not had a chance to bond with Roxanne again and they had only found each other such a short time ago.

"I wouldn't suggest that Lucky," Toby said. 'There's too much hidden underwater in those swamps and something could easily puncture the raft. Besides, Smokey's size would take up the room of 2 people and you need room for you, Brandon and Mutt plus you need room to bring Roxanne back. Smokey's size would lower the raft considerably." Smokey tried not to look surprised at the suggestion that he go with them instead of Toby but felt that Toby must have a reason and would tell him later. It put him in a bind though and after that he did not know if he should make any suggestions. It appeared that the Captain had other motives.

"I assumed that you would go with us Toby," Lucky said, "since you know this area."

"No one knows the swamp Lucky," Toby shook his head. "Unless you've lived in it and from what Smokey saw, these people are not strangers to the swamp. None of these buildings had a skiff or rowboat stored in it which means that the previous owners never went into the swamp."

"OK, we take the rowboat off Jenny and carry it through the woods to the swamp," Lucky suggested. "That eliminates any problem of puncturing a hole and the rowboat will easily carry Smokey since we used it to load supplies in. Smokey, Mutt and myself will go."

"I would like to go to," Brandon spoke up. "Don't like the idea of just you 2 going and I can't just sit here and not look for Roxanne. You and I can sit on one seat and row together while Smokey is in the last seat, Mutt on the floor between us."

Toby shook his head, "And where would you put Roxanne?"

"What are you saying Toby?" Lucky asked becoming agitated. "Are you saying that we shouldn't look for her?"

"You said the banks were hard dirt at that point," Toby reminded him. "I think you should take a day and search along the banks but neither I nor Smokey know the swamps and none of you will come back if you get lost in there."

Lucky stood up, "I'm sorry Toby, but Brandon and I operate by a different set of rules. We don't leave a member behind. We don't leave anyone on the battlefield and the three of us have been together for a long time. Roxanne kept us alive with her crossbow and she found Jenny. Roxanne has a sixth sense of danger, of a presence near when no one else can feel it, she is paramount to our survival and if you and Smokey do not want to help then Brandon and I are going to carry the rowboat to the swamp in the morning and go out alone."

"Lucky," Toby said softly. "Roxanne was captured even with that sixth sense of hers because these people are experts at camouflage. They can camouflage their smell, they can melt into the foliage in fact they can _become_ the foliage. They can hunt and stalk their prey for days without food or water. You never see them, you never hear them and you never smell them until they have a knife at your throat."

The conversation was interrupted when Mutt suddenly stood up putting his paws against the glass and began to whine. Lucky rushed over to the window but the moonlight was not strong to see further than the front lawn. "Anything?" Brandon asked. Lucky turned and grabbed his staff, "No, but I trust Mutt and if he sees something I think we should go down." Everyone except Terry grabbed their choice of weapon and rushed outside with Mutt running ahead across the lawn.

Lucky saw a walker emerge from the sugar cane to cross the road and approach the house. Mutt didn't bother running under the picket fence as he usually did. Instead he took a flying leap at the top of the fence and with the slightest touch he used the fence to leap again and fly into the walker. He went down with the walker and while growling viciously Mutt tore into the walker's neck.

The team climbed over the fence to see Mutt continuing to tear out the walkers neck and throw the meat aside like some wild animal who's young had been threatened. The growling continued as he did this but when the group drew within a few feet of him Mutt put his front paws on the body of the walker and leaned in towards them. He bared his teeth, daring them to come any closer, growling with meat still hanging from his mouth. Everyone backed off in shock since Mutt had never shown any reason to fear him in the past.

Brandon slowly hunched down and put his hand out. Mutt gave a deep throated bark, baring his teeth which covered Brandon's hand with saliva and walker meat. "Easy Mutt," Brandon said softly. "Easy boy. Let me check to see if it got Roxanne. Let me check its hands and clothes." Mutt closed his mouth but did not back off. "Let me check it for Roxanne, please Mutt? Roxanne?"

Gretchen covered her face in her hands and started to cry. Morgan pulled Caleb into his arms and would not let him look. The rest were frozen in place. Brandon looked behind him and saw that Toby had carried a lantern with him. "Let me have that." Toby carefully walked forward not wanting to startle Mutt into a frenzy and handed the lantern to Brandon. Brandon held it high and looked back to Mutt, "Let me look Mutt, please? Let me look."

Mutt stared at Brandon for a moment longer and then licked his chops. He slowly backed off the walker and sniffed its neck, then he nudged the walkers head to see if it moved. Satisfied that it was dead and safe for Brandon he backed off and sat down to let Brandon approach. Lucky stepped forward and knelt down to check the walkers hands while Brandon held the lantern. "No blood, just dirt and mud." They both leaned forward so Brandon could shine the light over the body. Lucky touched the shirt and ran his hands over the walker's arms. "No fresh blood. These are splatters from Mutt ripping its throat out. "

They stood up and stepped back, "Why would Mutt attack like that?" Brandon asked. "Never saw him do that before. The way Mutt tore into him I thought for sure it had something to do with Roxanne." They looked over at Mutt who had again approached the walker and was sniffing it when suddenly he grabbed one pant leg of the walker in his teeth and began to pull at it growling, trying to rip the material off the walker. He started to shake the leg back and forth in his teeth until you could hear the leg being torn out of its socket.

"Mutt, get away," Brandon ordered and stepped over the body to examine the leg in the light. He hesitated and then reached down to pull at the material, "Oh, Jesus" they heard him whisper. He stood and turned with something dangling from his hand, "It's Roxanne rawhide headband."

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 – 10****TH**** ENTRY**:

"It was tied to his ankle," Brandon said. "I don't understand," he looked up at Lucky.

Lucky reached out and took the rawhide, putting it in his shirt pocket. "They knew about Mutt and Mutt wasn't here all day. That means they have been watching the place. They put it on the walker's leg so Mutt would catch the scent and take us on a wild goose chase."

They turned and began to walk back toward the house, "I told you these guys were good", Toby said. He started to drop behind and grabbed Smokey's arm as a signal to slow his walk. As the others drew away Toby said, "I want you to go with them Smokey because there may come a time where you will need to physically force Lucky to give up the search. I'm not strong enough to do that. I don't think Lucky will be rational on this search, won't know when to give up and turn around. With both you and Brandon gone I will be the only one who knows anything about boats. If we are swarmed I'm all on my own to get them out of here. I'll give you 2 days out, not more than that and you best mark your way at every bend and turn or you'll be lost. Two days out and 2 days back, that's 4 total. If you haven't found a sign of her in 2 days you knock Lucky out if you have to."

Lucky & Brandon peeled off from the group and went toward the levee. "We're going to get the rowboat tonight and will put it in the front yard so it will be available first thing in the morning," Lucky shouted back to them.

The rest went back to the dining room where Toby lite up a cigar, "Terry, Gertrude start ripping up sheets into strips, lots of strips. Smokey will need them to mark his way tomorrow."

"What are the chances Toby?" Morgan asked while sitting down as if his legs were beginning to crumble beneath him. "The chances of finding Roxanne?"

Toby lifted his Captains hat to rub his forehead, "None and I don't like risking Smokey to do it. I'm only doing it out of respect for Brandon because he showed up with Jenny in the nick of time to save us. I see that Lucky and Roxanne are good fighters and hard workers and Roxanne has a level head on her. Or at least she did until she went out there alone. Those two; Lucky & Roxanne? They're both rogues. They will either work as a team or they will turn on you and you never know which way it will go."

"That's not true," Caleb spoke up. "Roxanne not only taught me a lot but she wanted to learn from me too. She asked me to teach her the crossbow and she always worked with us as a team. Roxanne is the best!"

Toby shook his head, "Meant no disrespect Caleb. I'm just concerned about our safety while 3 of our best go off looking for 1 person. If it was any other circumstance, wandered off, maybe hurt somewhere, I'd say yes. But all indications are that Roxanne was taken and taken by people who don't make mistakes or leave clues behind."

Terry and Gretchen came into the room with several sheets of different colors and spread them out on the table. "I thought you might want to use different colors for different routes or different signals? I don't know anything about tracking."

"No, that's good Gretchen," Toby said as he saw Lucky and Brandon put the rowboat down into the yard. "That makes sense." He watched as they began to walk toward the house and said, "It suddenly occurred to me that no one is on watch, and Lucky will be upset by that so Larry why don't you go up before he comes in and we won't need to lie to him." Everyone looked shocked that in the crisis they had forgotten tonight's watch which could be a very important one if Roxanne should happen to escape from her captors and make her way back.

"Brandon and I have been talking about these people who could have taken Roxanne," Lucky said as he walked in and sat down. "Toby, you've told us of things that they are good at, but what is their weakness? What are their beliefs and fears? Maybe we can use that to our advantage."

"Well it depends on their tribe or clan, whether it is Choctaw, Witchcraft or Voodoo, all of which are practiced in the swamps but different from one another." He looked over at Caleb, "And none that should be spoken of in front of a child."

Morgan looked startled and got up from the table, "We will wait for you back at the cabins Lucky, and you can fill us in on your plans." Lucky shook his head, "Don't wait up Morgan. I'm sure we will be here for a long time yet."

Toby sat down at the table with a sad sigh, "Lucky, I don't know what to tell you. I don't know how to fight these people and we are in their backyard, although things must be getting bad for them to have ventured this far north. The waterway you saw at the edge of the property is just the beginning and gets worse the deeper you go into the Bayou. The foliage and vines become so dense that you think you have reached a dead end, but if you hacked your way through, it would open up again. You would need a native or a voodoo priestess or medicine man to go with you. Only then would Roxanne's captors be afraid into making mistakes.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 – 11****TH**** ENTRY:**

Brandon clasped his hands on the table and looked down at them. "I wish Cami were still alive. She would love playing the part of a Voodoo Priestess, chanting nonsense until she could get close enough to slit their throat."

"All Right Toby," Lucky said. "In lieu of a person, is there a symbol or devise that would get our foot in the door or scare them?"

Toby thought for a while, stroking his chin, "Well, maybe we can find something in the estate to make a fake Coco macaque. That's a walking stick which the owner can send out on errands and it is supposed to be able to walk on its own. If it is used to hit an enemy, the enemy will die before dawn. If they saw you with a Coco macaque they may think you have other powers and make a run for it so you can spot them."

"What does this Coco macaque look like?"

"Well it's just a walking stick really. But the head of it is a round knob that fits into the palm of your hand. Usually it is a polished skull but can also be glass or polished stone. Don't think I've seen any small skulls around here but maybe…"

Gretchen's gasp interrupted Toby's thoughts, "Terry's bed!" They all turned to look at her and Terry jumped up from the table. "Terry's 4-poster bed!" Gretchen exclaimed. "Each post has an Agate mounted on the top. We could take the leg off and saw or whittle it down into the length of a walking stick and polish or stain it. I'm sure we can find something in maintenance so it won't look like we recently carved it out."

"No!" Terry shouted. "Not my bed! You're not going to tear my bed apart. I've never had anything nice in my life and I'm not letting you tear my bed apart!" she yelled while running out of the room.

"Smokey," Toby nodded toward the door. "I don't care if you need to bust the door down you know what a Coco macaque looks like. If you think Terry's poster bed could fool them into thinking it's one, then tear the room apart."

"Anything else you can think of Toby?" Lucky asked as Smokey left the room.

"If you meet anyone descended from the Choctaw, they believe in honesty and truthfulness and that lying is a crime. If they have seen Roxanne they will be truthful with you, but they are very good at avoiding the question so that they will not be forced into lying. You will need to know how to keep rewording the question if you want a direct answer. What little I know, or have heard you may not want to know and I don't believe that any of it will help you."

Lucky shook his head, "No, I want to know everything so I don't break with their tradition or superstitions and perhaps can use the knowledge to my advantage."

Toby sighed. "Like I said, there are various beliefs depending on whether it is Indian, witchcraft or voodoo, but these are some of what I have heard. You will not find her captors camped among rocks because of the spirit called Limba believed to live among rocks. This spirit is thought to have insatiable hunger and eats people. Some Haitians call our walkers by the name of Limba. The Choctaw believe in Aba a good spirit, and Nanapolo a bad spirit. If Roxanne…..if Roxanne is already dead you will not find her captors camping on trails, paths or roads at night. A person who dies a violent death, even an innocent person does not go to Aba to rest in peace. The dead wander trails that humans use to try to hide among the living and avoid Nanapolo. If these people killed Roxanne they would not want her spirit following them at night and would stay off the main byways."

"Oh, dear God," Gretchen whispered and got up from the table. "I think I will join Larry on watch. If you'll excuse me."

During Toby's explanation they could hear the rumblings upstairs as Smokey kicked in Terry's door. There was screaming, shouting and crying by Terry as they heard additional furniture being torn apart or thrown across the room. As Gretchen left the room they could hear Smokey coming down the stairs with Terry yelling after him, "Now where am I going to sleep? You animal, you brute, I HATE you!"

Smokey entered the room carrying the leg post of Terry's bed. Gretchen was right in that the Agate was a beautiful brown stone and could be polished to shine. Toby had Lucky stand up to measure where Smokey should cut the wood to make it the length of a walking stick. "It needs to be whittled down too, Smokey. It's too thick and looks exactly like what it is, a bed post. Do you think you could find some stain and have it ready by morning?"

As they left the mansion with Lucky going toward his cabin and Brandon going to Jenny, Mutt elected to go with Brandon but once they mounted the levee Mutt turned and sat down facing the estate where he could get a full view. "Mutt, you coming inside with me?" Brandon asked. Mutt turned his head to look at Brandon but did not move. When Mutt turned to look back over the estate Brandon knew that Mutt would not leave his post that night.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 – 12****TH**** ENTRY:**

Smokey and Larry had both worked on the Coco Macaque during the night and it was a beautiful reproduction. Lucky, Brandon and Smokey turned the rowboat over and carried it above their heads to the waterway. Morgan, Caleb and Larry carried their duffle bags and supplies along with a lantern and their staffs. Mutt brought up the rear carrying the Coco macaque in his mouth as he would carry Roxanne's staff. When they entered the marsh the rowboat became a burden to carry, causing them to miss their step or sink into the mud. One time they were completely thrown off balance and dropped the rowboat into the mud. The smell of rotting foliage and stagnant water seemed to take all the oxygen out of the air. After they put the rowboat in the water along with all their gear they realized that Toby was right. If they found Roxanne and she was injured they would need to lay her on top of the gear because there was little room left after the 3 men and Mutt got in.

"Remember," Morgan said. "Two days out and two days back."

"They already have a day's start on us," Lucky called out as they began to row away.

"Don't be reckless and get lost," Morgan ordered. "Listen to Smokey."

They continued to row south in silence. It had been agreed that Roxanne was probably captured around 10 am and it was 3:30 before the men had arrived back from the barge. Her captors would have been looking for a place to set up camp by then and they were hoping to discover the previous night's campfire on the banks. After an hour Mutt became tired of holding the Coco stick and let it drop to the floor then he settled down on the duffle bags for a nap. They realized what Toby meant about getting lost in the swamp when they saw how often the waterway broke off into other sections. "How do you know which way to go?" Lucky asked Smokey.

"I don't," he answered. "I am having you continue to row south, thinking that they would want to get deeper into the Bayou. But that doesn't mean that we are on the right channel. Any one of those inlets that we passed could also swing around and go south." To prove his point they rounded a bend to see that the channel had suddenly ended in heavy marsh and swamp land. The boat began to scrap bottom and woke Mutt who sat up.

"Could they have gone through here?" Lucky asked. Smokey shook his head, "don't see any signs that a piroque was pulled up here. None of the foliage is disturbed, no tracks through the mud. We need to turn around and try another waterway. And Mutt doesn't smell anything." Lucky silently cursed himself for not watching Mutt. If he caught a scent of Roxanne he would let them know.

They managed to get themselves out of the mud and moving again but Smokey by-passed the first inlet they came to because he felt that it would lead to solid ground and not further into the Bayou. He had them continue to row until he saw a small passageway leading to the left and asked them to pull over to the bushes. "I'll put a blue rag on this side to indicate that it is a dead end," he said. "Now go around the bend and I'll put a white sheet on that side. If that also turns out to be a dead-end and forces us to come back I'll change the white over to a blue so we won't go down that inlet again."

Mutt continued to sit up watching the scenery as it went by but after a couple of hours he began to paw at one of the supply bags. "We haven't eaten and we've been out here for 5 hours. Let's just let it drift and eat," Lucky said. They had often let the boat drift to rest their arms and shoulders. They had also alternated between rowing and using the oars as paddles to propel them like a canoe but their knees would become sore from kneeling on the seat of the boat.

"Lucky," Brandon said with a sign, "My arms are so tired and heavy that I would not be able to fight these guys in hand-to-hand combat."

"When we stop tonight I'll make the 2 of you some poles" Smokey said. "You stand up in the boat and use the poles to touch the bottom and push the boat forward so it glides. That's how they use a piroque and it skims on top of the water. Don't know if the 2 of you could balance yourself to do that, but I'll make them anyway.

I'm sure they don't have gas for motor boats. Been too long in the ZA to find gas anymore"

Gretchen had fried up some squirrel and they ate that along with some club crackers that the plantation seemed to have plenty of. Mutt gobbled his so quickly that they were afraid he would choke. "I'm relieved to see him eat," Brandon said. "He wouldn't eat at all last night or this morning. I've been watching him since he chewed into that walker, not knowing if he'd get sick and die. But he seems alright."

The boat had drifted under a tree with Spanish moss hanging from it when Mutt leaned over and started pawing at the reeds and leaves caught up into the water. Brandon saw something black in the water and yanked Mutt back into the boat, "Stay away from there Mutt. It's just a snake."

"Snakes have gone into hibernation this time of year, along with the alligators," Smokey said and leaned over the boat to see what Mutt was trying to get. He looked puzzled for a moment and then reached in to pull out Roxanne's staff. "Looks like we're on the right trail," he said holding it up for everyone to see.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 – 13****TH**** ENTRY:**

Lucky was elated when he saw Roxanne's staff. Mutt immediately began to sniff at it but Roxanne's scent was gone. Not having any room in the boat for it Lucky took two of the rags and tied it to the side of the boat. "She left it as a signal. We know she was alive at this point. Let's push on."

But his joy was crushed an hour later when the waterway came to another dead end. They tied the rags to bushes as they had done before and tried another opening in the swamp but that also came to a dead end. Smokey could see the frustration building up in Lucky, "I don't think we are going to find their campsite today Lucky. We've made too many wrong turns and will need to start searching for our own camp soon."

"We brought a lantern," Lucky said. "I can either hold it while Brandon rows or perhaps we can find a way to mount it on Roxanne's staff. But I would like to continue on to make up for lost time. Roxanne has been missing for 2 days and we haven't traveled further than part of the first day that she was taken. We're falling behind instead of gaining on them."

Smoke shook his head, "We made too many bad turns in daylight and the chances of that happening increase as it gets dark. Traveling at night could lead us further away from her and we would never know it. There's a landing up ahead of solid ground that we can camp on tonight. I suggest we make for that and let everyone stretch their legs."

As they pulled closer to the trees they could make out a symbol of a skull and crossbones painted into the trunk. "Bacalou," Smokey said. "Haitian voodoo believes it is an evil spirit depicted by the skull & crossbones. They are marking their spot, saying that we are entering their territory. They probably hunt here and it's like a "No Trespassing" sign. There's nothing to fear unless you believe in their tradition. It doesn't mean that these are the people who took her. Several tribes and some hermits live within the Bayou and they don't associate with one another." He looked over the boat as they touched land, "Be still a moment," he said as he slowly put his hand above the water.

Lucky and Brandon looked at one another but did not see any danger nor had they heard any splash or seen the water disturbed. With a quick movement Smokey slammed his hand in the water and brought up a catfish. "Dinner" he said with a smile.

As they were setting up camp for the night and getting the fire started Mutt explored the surrounding area trying to pick up a scent. They had seen the change in Mutt who now stayed aloof from everyone even Caleb who had tried to befriend him again. He may follow Brandon more often than anyone else but he did not respond or take orders from Brandon. He did not come forward asking for food but stood outside the circle waiting for someone to offer it to him and then would take it back to his spot to eat it. He no longer acted like part of the family and did not seem to have an affinity for anyone. He tolerated them but he was becoming a stranger.

Smokey used his machete to cut two small trees and carved them out as poles, keeping both ends blunt so either end could be used on the floor of the marsh but neither end would be sharp to cut their hands while pushing the boat forward. No one spoke that night and pretended to be engrossed in Smokey's task, but each had their thoughts of finding Roxanne.

As they rose the next morning it was not spoken aloud, but it was on everyone's mind that this was the second and final day of their search. Lucky was forming a speech in his head of how to approach Smokey to extend the search if they did not find Roxanne by nightfall. Smokey was wondering if the day would end in blows and whether he would need to tie Lucky up and toss him into the boat to bring him back. And Brandon, Brandon was realizing for the first time just how much he loved Roxanne. He looked at Lucky and then quickly looked away so Lucky would not see the resentment in his eyes. He felt that he and Roxanne were more suited for each other because they thought alike during their 3 month trek but both had blindly followed Lucky because of his past training. He believed that he and Roxanne would have fared better without Lucky and now that she was missing he realized his feelings for her were deeper than that of a sister or teammate.

Mutt waited until Smokey got in the boat and then jumped in after him, followed by Lucky and Brandon who pushed the boat away from shore. They made 2 more wrong turns that morning and Lucky began to lash out at Smokey. "Do you know what you're looking for Smokey? Do you know how to spot broken limbs, overturned leaves, and trampled foliage? I'm busy rowing this damn thing. I can't spot everything and I'm counting on you to see things that I may have missed."

Smokey held his temper, "These people are better than us. We're amateurs compared to them. If they want to hide we will never find them. And they're faster than us in this rowboat because a pirogue can skim along the waterway with ease." Mutt suddenly sat up and began to sniff the air. Everyone looked around but nothing appeared to be any different. Lucky & Brandon stopped rowing to let the boat drift and to listen to the natural sounds around them. "I smell it now," Smokey said. "An old campfire."

They decided to stand up and use the poles hoping to see over the foliage and to also watch Mutt to see if he turned toward the scent. Once they passed a certain area Mutt turned around to look behind them. "I didn't see anything back there, did you Smokey."

He shook his head, "No, but it's the right bank. Let's turn and travel up against the bank as close as we can. Perhaps we'll see something on the other side of the foliage, but nothing looked trampled." They made a pass at it but still did not see anything although the smell of smoke was stronger when the turn of Mutt's body indicated that they had passed it again. "See that Cypress tree jutting out into the swamp," Smokey pointed. "Go behind there. Perhaps a landing is hidden behind the tree. It's the only place we haven't checked."

There was only a small muddy bank behind the tree, small enough for 1 person to get his foot on it. Lucky stood up in the boat and held onto the Cypress tree to keep his balance. "I see it. Nothing more than a narrow path, but I can see something white at the base of a tree further down the path." They swung the boat around so Lucky could get out first and lead the way. Before Brandon could get out of his seat Mutt took a leap past him and brushed against Lucky's legs to dart ahead.

After tying up the boat Smokey arrived on the scene to find Lucky frozen in place with a bloody white shirt in his hand. He could see additional dried stains of blood against the tree and on the ground at the base. He quickly glanced around and could see large areas of dried blood near the dead campfire. Brandon was kneeling down behind the tree studying something where Lucky had found Roxanne's shirt and his face was ashen. He looked up at Smokey and shook his head. Mutt was frantically running in and out of the area trying to follow a scent but always circling back again.

Smokey walked up to Brandon to peer around the tree and saw that there was additional blood on the back of the tree plus a vine on the ground that had been used as a rope and was blood stained as well. Lucky had not moved and now Mutt began to sniff Roxanne's shirt dangling from Lucky's hands. When Mutt started to whine Brandon grabbed the shirt out of Lucky's hand and stuffed it underneath his, "Don't torture the damn dog with it!" he said in anger.

**ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER 10 – ENTRY 14:**

Brandon's outburst brought Lucky out of his stupor and he began to look around him as if he didn't know where he was. Smokey was sifting through the ashes of the fire, "This is two days old," he said standing up. "They're too far ahead of us to catch up to them. We only have a half day left before finding a campsite ourselves."

"What the hell is this?" Lucky asked spreading his arms out to indicate the stains on the hardened ground. "A ritual of some kind?"

Smoke shook his head, "No, no ritual that I know of. This is just lawlessness in a ZA where there are no laws any longer. Or crazy people. Before the ZA some chose the Bayou instead of a Mental Institution, or was released from one and came here to be away from people." He looked around him and said "I think we better look for a grave. If they did not attend to her wounds she could have bled out overnight."

There was only one trail leading from the landing and that did not go very far before ending in the marsh. "I think this is just a trail used by animals and alligators to access the waterway. I can see some old nests out there in the reeds. I don't see where they would have crossed this. There's just not a good foothold, especially if you are carrying a body. Let's see how far we can walk along the bank before it turns to swamp again". They spread out but did not find any footsteps in the earth to indicate that anyone had left the immediate area of the campsite.

"They took her with them," Lucky said. "That's a good sign that she was still alive. Let's go further up the canal. We still have 3 hours of daylight and I'm not ready to give up on this. Maybe they made a mistake. Maybe they didn't think that we would follow this far. Maybe Roxanne was able to leave another clue."

Smokey stood looking at a Cyprus tree extending out into the water and turned to Lucky. "If she died last night, they would not have carried the body with them. They would have disposed of it here and they would have chosen the quickest way to do that whether it was moral or not. That means dumping it in the river." Both Brandon and Lucky turned white at the thought. "I'm not going to do it, but if you want to be thorough at this location I suggest one of you wade out and check the roots of that cypress tree. Or get in the boat and we'll row out and one of you can lean over into the water to see if her body is wedged into the roots underwater."

Brandon took a deep breath feeling that he was losing all grips on reality. He took a step sideways to grab a sapling and held on to steady himself. "I'll do it," Lucky said and started for the boat. They all got back into the boat in the same positions and in a few strokes on the oars they drifted up to the cypress. Lucky took a deep breath and then leaned over the side of the boat as far as he could to plunge his torso into the water. It felt like forever to Brandon before Lucky came up for air with a splash and shook the water off him. "Nothing. It was dark but I'm sure I would have seen the white skin of a bleached body that has been in the water for 2 days." He started to shiver.

"Going to be frost tonight," Smokey said. "The two of you better get your coats out. That's another danger for Roxanne because she left her coat on the portico as the day heated up. With loss of blood and a frost she could easily die of hypothermia."

"Why do you keep talking about her as if she is dead?" Lucky shouted getting his coat out. "I'm not giving up until I find her or her body." He took up his pole and turning his back on Smokey he stood up to skim the boat across the water again.

Smokey shook his head, "Lucky, that was a lot of blood back there. And all over the place, not just in one spot. I don't think it is their intention to keep her, but to kill her if they haven't already. Let's say one of them wanted a wife, they wouldn't have damaged her that badly. Roxanne is sport to them….."

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Brandon interrupted putting his hands over his ears. He removed them just as quickly and let out a sigh. "Just stop it. I can't stand to hear any more of this," he whispered. "Let's just row. I think we all have our own thoughts to deal with right now and I don't want any more visions put into my head."

Smokey let them alternate between rowing and standing up to use their poles without giving them any more directions. He let them take the easiest waterway and let them feel that they were accomplishing something, but he knew it was useless. They came to another dead end and he marked it in silence. They did not stop to eat that day although Brandon gave Mutt some dried fish. Mutt had not sat up in the boat since they had left the site where Roxanne had been held.

The sun was quickly lowering when Smokey said that they needed to search for dry land to camp for the night and was surprised when no one gave him an argument. As Lucky & Brandon set up camp Smokey pushed out in the boat and got out his fishing pole. Before long he had dinner for them but he continued to fish to give the 2 men some time together. Being in the boat with them for 2 days gave him the opportunity to study them and he could see that tension was building between them. Two men traveling with the same woman for 3 months, it wouldn't be strange if both of them fell in love with her. He knew that Lucky & Roxanne were supposed to be a couple, but he didn't think that Mutt liked Lucky much and Smokey had always felt that animals knew how to pick out a human better than another human did and before Roxanne disappeared Mutt had started to follow Brandon.

He rowed back and prepared the fish to find that both Lucky & Brandon remained quiet except to help each other set up camp. He knew that he had to approach the subject of tomorrow and had been delaying it for as long as he could. "We have enough drinking water to get back to the Plantation. The Bayou can provide food, but it can't provide water unless you dig a well or catch rain water," he said as he held out the pan and portioned out the fish to Lucky & Brandon. Brandon stopped to open a can of dog food for Mutt, not wanting him to choke on the bones of the fish. It was one of the few cans they had left from Martha. He wondered how she and Joe were doing. He put the dog food on a plate next to him, but Mutt picked up the plate in his teeth and took it back to the base of a tree where he had been sitting. Brandon turned around and looked at him, getting his feelings hurt that Mutt still did not want to share food with them.

"I figure," Smokey continued, "that we will be back in a day and a half since the trail is marked and we won't be making any wrong turns." Still no response from the men. He wondered if they had been hatching a plan to overcome him and take the boat out on their own. "Do I have any objections here that I need to address about tomorrow morning?" he asked in a stern tone.

Brandon shook his head and leaned forward toward the fire with his arm over his knees, "I will always feel as if I abandoned her but we could be out here for months and never find her. After…..after you had us check for her body underwater, I realized that we would never know if she was dead or alive. As much as I hate to, I'm ready to go back tomorrow."

"I don't know this territory," Lucky said. "I feel helpless. None of my training was for tracking in the swamps. I'm useless here. Like Brandon, I will always feel guilty but my only hope is that Roxanne will find a way to survive."

Smokey was right and it only took 1 ½ days to return to the landing at the plantation. Roxanne had now been missing for 5 days. As they were gathering their supplies from the boat Lucky untied Roxanne's staff and said, "I almost feel that we should have a memorial to her staff. No one uses this," he said holding it up. "No one."

She woke in a white haze and thought that her spirit had levitated into the clouds on her way to heaven. She could hear thunder in the distance and the clouds began to swirl into the shape of a blurred face. The thunder became louder and turned into an echo asking, "What's your name, girl? What's your name?"

**END OF SEASON ONE.**


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